Passive Income Ideas For Business Intelligence Analysts [2024]

Updated: September 21st, 2024

Interested in earning passive income as a business intelligence analyst in 2024?

We put together a few of the best passive income ideas you can start as a business intelligence analyst today. These will help you increase your quality of life by bringing in more income for yourself or your business.

For each income idea, we’ll show you real-world examples, revenue expectations for each idea, plus some things you might need to know before you start your passive income journey as a business intelligence analyst.

Here's the full list:

1. Make passive income with a niche blog ($31.5K/month)

Starting a niche blog could make sense as a business intelligence analyst because you can leverage your analytical skills to create in-depth articles and guides on topics like data visualization, analytics tools, and best practices. You could identify a profitable and underserved niche within the BI community to share your knowledge and insights, helping others navigate the complexities of business intelligence.

To grow your blog, you could produce unique and informative content like how-to guides on using specific BI tools, top product lists, and video interviews with industry experts. As your blog gains followers, you could monetize it through affiliate links, brand collaborations, and speaking engagements. This way, your blog not only provides valuable information to others but also becomes a source of passive income for you.

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 (?)

How I Turned A Crappy Idea Into A $3M/Year Business

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.

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2. Make passive income with an online course sales business ($85K/month)

Starting an online course sales business could be a great way for business intelligence analysts to supplement their income by leveraging their existing expertise. You could create courses on subjects like data analysis, SQL, Tableau, or other BI tools that you are already familiar with. By doing so, you not only teach others but also create a stream of passive income as students enroll and pay for your courses.

Given your profession's analytical nature, you could easily identify gaps in the e-learning market and tailor your courses to meet those needs. With the e-learning market expected to be worth over $645 billion in the next few years, there's a substantial opportunity to generate income while sharing your knowledge. All you need to do is choose a target audience, create your course, and sell it on an online learning platform.

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 (?)

I Make $120K/Year With My Print On Demand T-Shirt Side Hustle

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.

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3. Make passive income with a lead generation tool ($108K/month)

As a business intelligence analyst, you could leverage your skills in data collection and analysis to develop a lead generation tool. Imagine creating a platform that automates the extraction of potential customer information from websites, social media channels, and other digital touch points. This tool could collect vital data such as email addresses, phone numbers, and customer interests, allowing businesses to focus on turning leads into paying customers.

The need for efficient lead generation is high, and your analytical background would give you a unique advantage in understanding market trends and optimizing data collection methods. Such a tool could simplify the otherwise laborious task of finding new clients for businesses, making it a potentially profitable side venture.

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 (?)

How I Created A $5M/Year LinkedIn Marketing Automation Tool

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.

Read by 8,922 founders

4. Make passive income with an ai based business solution ($55.8K/month)

For business intelligence analysts, starting an AI-based business solution offers a unique opportunity to leverage your data expertise and improve business operations. By using AI to optimize tasks like customer service, data analysis, and inventory management, you could help companies become more efficient and make smarter decisions. This could translate into additional income streams as businesses increasingly look for ways to integrate AI into their processes.

The growing demand for AI solutions means there's potential to tap into a booming market. AI tools can automate repetitive tasks, offer customer insights, and predict market trends, all of which are pivotal for any business. With user-friendly platforms available, you don't need to be a tech expert to get started. This makes it an exciting option to explore for those looking to innovate within the realm of business intelligence.

How much you can make: $4,000 — $120,000/month

How long does it take to build: 125 days (?)

How We Launched A $120K/Month Audiobook Publishing Course

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.

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5. Make passive income with a mobile app ($70.3K/month)

As a business intelligence analyst, you could leverage your expertise and analytical skills to develop a mobile app that caters to specific user needs, like data visualization or simplified reporting tools. You might not need to be a coding wizard yourself; you could hire a skilled developer to bring your vision to life. Your strong understanding of data could help you design an app that offers unique insights or streamlines workflows, making it invaluable to other professionals.

You could also tap into your ability to analyze market trends to identify gaps and opportunities in the app market. With effective planning and marketing, your app could gain a substantial user base, generating steady passive income through ads, in-app purchases, or subscriptions. This venture could become a valuable side hustle, providing financial rewards while allowing you to innovate and solve real-world problems.

How much you can make: $1 — $500,000/month

How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)

We Started A $6M/Year Bachelorette Party App

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.

Read by 11,017 founders

6. Make passive income with an AI writing tool ($255K/month)

As a business intelligence analyst, you could create an AI writing tool to help supplement your income. This tool would use artificial intelligence to generate engaging and accurate content automatically, which could save time and reduce errors for businesses, bloggers, and students.

With your expertise in data and technology, you could develop a tool that not only produces high-quality content but also integrates data insights to make the writings more impactful. By offering this innovative service, you could tap into the growing demand for automated content creation, helping to streamline the writing process and boost overall productivity. This endeavor could be a profitable way to leverage your technical skills in a new and exciting domain.

How much you can make: $4,000 — $1,000,000/month

How long does it take to build: 52 days (?)

I Built A Simple AI Writing Tool That Makes $60K/Year

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.

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7. Make passive income with a wordpress plugin business ($33.4K/month)

As a business intelligence analyst, starting a WordPress plugin business could be a great way to leverage your analytical and problem-solving skills for passive income. Since WordPress sites depend on plugins to manage various functions, you could create a plugin that solves a common issue or meets a specific need based on your experience with data and analytics.

For instance, you might develop a plugin that helps site owners visualize their website's traffic data or integrates with popular BI tools to provide deeper insights into user behavior. Once created, you could sell your plugin on platforms like CodeCanyon, your blog, or even a dedicated plugin website, opening up a steady revenue stream with minimal ongoing effort.

How much you can make: $120 — $120,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $5,000 (?)

How long does it take to build: 120 days (?)

Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week

How I Coded A Website Plugin Making $600 Per Month

Wheely Sales CEO Josh created a lucky wheel popup that has grown revenue from $0 to $600/month in just 4 months since getting started and has attracted over 1.1 million users to his customers’ websites, all while proving that when it comes to creating a product, competition is validation.

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8. Make passive income with a niche website ($107K/month)

As a business intelligence analyst, you could leverage your analytical and research skills to create a niche website on a topic you are passionate about. Select a specialized area within your field, such as data visualization tools, data science trends, or BI software reviews, and create valuable content that attracts a dedicated audience. Your expertise allows you to provide in-depth insights and tutorials that are highly valuable to others in the industry.

Creating and managing the website will involve time in researching, producing quality content, and optimizing for search engines to drive traffic. Once you have a steady flow of visitors, you could monetize through affiliate marketing by recommending BI tools, placing ads, or selling e-books and courses. Over time, your niche website could become a dependable source of passive income, providing you with financial rewards while sharing your knowledge with a broader audience.

How much you can make: $400 — $250,000/month

How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)

How I Leveraged My LinkedIn Network To Create A $1.8M/Year Procurement Conference

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.

Read by 3,620 founders

9. Make passive income with a cold email service business ($170K/month)

As a business intelligence analyst, you could start a cold email service business to utilize your data analysis skills and strategic mindset. By crafting and sending targeted email campaigns for businesses, you could help them reach new clients directly and generate more leads. You’d analyze client needs, research target audiences, and use email marketing tools to track metrics like open rates and conversions.

Your ability to interpret data and trends would be crucial in fine-tuning these campaigns for better results. This business also allows you to scale by initially working with small businesses and eventually expanding your client base as your success stories grow. Combining your analytical skills with creative copywriting and technical know-how could position you effectively to offer a high-demand service in today’s digital landscape.

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 (?)

How I Launched A $200K/Month Gmail Mail Merge Tool

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.

Read by 13,714 founders

10. Make passive income with a SEO & lead generation service ($60K/month)

Starting an SEO & lead generation service could be a natural extension of your skills as a business intelligence analyst. By analyzing data and identifying trends, you already have a good grasp of how to work with large sets of information, which is crucial for successful lead generation and SEO strategies.

You could use your analytical skills to gather insights and optimize online traffic for other businesses, attracting potential customers and converting them into valuable leads. This service could provide you with a steady stream of passive income, especially once you have established effective systems and tools for continuous lead nurturing and conversion.

How much you can make: $8,000 — $200,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $3,750 (?)

How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)

How I Started A $35K/Month Agency Specialized On Link Building

A link building company co-founded by Justas Markus has grown to make an average of $35k per month in recurring revenue with a focus on delivering high-quality services through manual processes and focusing on fewer markets.

Read by 14,486 founders

11. Make passive income with an affiliate marketing business ($77.5K/month)

If you're a business intelligence analyst considering ways to supplement your income, starting an affiliate marketing business could be a smart move. By promoting other companies' products and services online, you could earn commissions on sales without having to create or manage the products yourself. This allows you to leverage your analytical skills to identify high-demand products and target audiences effectively, making your marketing efforts more successful.

To get started, you could focus on finding the right products and brands that align with your interests and expertise. For example, you might partner with an eCommerce store or manufacturer and market their products. This would not only diversify your income streams but also give you practical experience in marketing and data analysis in a real-world setting.

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 (?)

My Affiliate Marketing Business Earns $500K/Year Profit [No Employees]

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.

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12. Make passive income with a YouTube channel ($72.1K/month)

As a business intelligence analyst, you could start a YouTube channel that shares your expertise in data analytics, reporting tools, and industry insights. By creating tutorial videos on how to use popular BI software like Tableau, Power BI, or SQL, you can attract an audience eager to learn technical skills. This could lead to revenue through ads, sponsorships, and even premium content offerings.

You could also produce content that discusses career advice, case studies, or solutions to common BI challenges, adding value to viewers who are keen to enhance their professional capabilities. Engaging consistently and experimenting with different content formats can help grow your subscriber base. While it requires some upfront effort in filming and editing, the long-term rewards could include passive income and a strong personal brand in the BI community.

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 (?)

How A Young Entrepreneur From Nigeria Started A Profitable Blog

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.

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13. Make passive income with an online survey tool ($304K/month)

As a business intelligence analyst, you could use your data skills to create an online survey tool that helps businesses gather customer feedback efficiently. This venture could leverage your expertise in data collection and analysis, providing a service that helps companies make better decisions based on solid customer insights. By creating a tool that includes a survey builder, data collection functionalities, and a reporting system, you could enable businesses to understand their customers’ needs and preferences more accurately.

The demand for data collection is on the rise as more companies recognize its value in improving services and developing new products. Considering the success of platforms like Typeform, which reported annual recurring revenue surpassing $70 million in 2021, there’s a strong market for user-friendly survey tools. By entering this space, you could tap into a growing industry and generate passive income through subscription or service fees, all while utilizing your existing skill set.

How much you can make: $40 — $1,600,000/month

How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)

On Starting A $160K/Month CRM & Automations Company After A US Air Force Career

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.

Read by 12,019 founders

14. Make passive income with a social media automation business ($139K/month)

As a business intelligence analyst, you could leverage your analytical skills to start a social media automation business, helping clients manage their social media accounts more efficiently. By creating tools and services that schedule posts, automate interactions, and analyze data, you would be providing valuable time-saving solutions to small businesses and influencers.

Your expertise in data analysis would enable you to offer deep insights into social media trends, helping clients enhance their online presence and engagement. This side business aligns well with your current skill set and could become a lucrative source of passive income as you build software solutions and maintain client relationships.

How much you can make: $4,000 — $400,000/month

How long does it take to build: 50 days (?)

How I Bootstrapped A Social Media Automation Tool To $2MM/Year

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.

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meet the author
Pat Walls