Passive Income Ideas For Customer Success Managers [2024]
Interested in earning passive income as a customer success manager in 2024?
We put together a few of the best passive income ideas you can start as a customer success manager 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 customer success manager.
Here's the full list:
1. Make passive income with a podcast ($97.9K/month)
Starting a podcast could be a great way to earn extra money as a customer success manager. You could create episodes that discuss customer success strategies, share real-life case studies, or interview other professionals in the field. This kind of content could attract others in your industry, expanding your network and establishing you as a thought leader.
To begin, you'll need basic recording equipment like a microphone and headphones, and choose a hosting platform to publish your episodes. Promoting your podcast through social media and online communities could help you build an audience. As your listener base grows, you might attract sponsors or advertisers, providing you with a steady stream of passive income.
How much you can make: $400 — $1,020,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $2,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
Time commitment per week: Min. 2 hours/week
A successful podcast production company that grew from one client making $15/hour to a team of 10 contractors producing over 30 shows per week with revenue of over $10k/mo, primarily through referrals and with a focus on providing high personal touch and being picky about working only with clients who are a good fit.
2. Make passive income with an online course sales business ($85K/month)
As a customer success manager, you likely have valuable insights and skills that others would be eager to learn. You could leverage your expertise to create online courses focusing on customer service, client retention strategies, or tools and software relevant to your field. This way, you can share your knowledge while generating extra income.
Creating online courses allows you to work on something you're passionate about in your spare time. Once the courses are made, they can be sold repeatedly, making this a passive income stream. With the e-learning market growing rapidly and expected to reach over $645 billion soon, this is an excellent opportunity to capitalize on your existing skills and contribute valuable content to others.
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.
3. Make passive income with a lead generation tool ($108K/month)
As a customer success manager, you likely possess an in-depth understanding of customer needs and business goals. Developing a lead generation tool could leverage this expertise by helping businesses attract the right customers more effectively. With this tool, you could automate the often tedious job of finding new clients, allowing companies to concentrate more on converting those leads into paying customers.
By integrating your lead generation tool with websites, social media, and other digital platforms, you could easily gather essential data such as email addresses, phone numbers, and interests. This kind of efficiency is something many businesses are willing to invest in as they aim to streamline their marketing efforts and expand their customer base.
If you have a knack for technology and an interest in marketing, this entrepreneurial endeavor could not only supplement your income but also provide a valuable service to other businesses. Given the high demand for effective lead generation, starting this venture could be a profitable side hustle or even grow into a full-time opportunity.
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.
4. Make passive income with an ai based business solution ($55.8K/month)
As a customer success manager, you could explore the exciting world of AI-based business solutions to supplement your income and possibly create a steady passive income stream. By integrating AI tools into your operations, you could significantly improve customer service by automating responses to common queries and predicting customer needs based on data trends. This would allow you to provide even more efficient and personalized support to your clients.
Starting an AI-based business solution doesn’t require a tech background, as many platforms offer easy-to-use interfaces and strong support. You could focus on high-impact areas such as customer insights, automating repetitive tasks, and data-driven decision-making to provide significant value to companies. As businesses continue to seek ways to gain a competitive edge, your AI solutions could become highly sought after, making this a promising entrepreneurial venture.
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.
5. Make passive income with a niche blog ($31.5K/month)
As a customer success manager, you could start a niche blog to share your expertise and connect with a dedicated audience. For example, you could write about effective customer relationship management strategies, tips for improving customer satisfaction, or even product reviews relevant to your industry. This helps you to leverage your existing knowledge while building a platform that attracts readers interested in your specific field.
By regularly creating engaging and helpful content, you could gather a loyal following, which opens up opportunities for monetization through affiliate links, collaborations with brands, and possibly even speaking engagements. This approach allows you to earn passive income while reinforcing your professional reputation. Starting a niche blog blends your professional skills with entrepreneurial ambition, creating multiple pathways to supplement your income.
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.
6. Make passive income with a niche website ($107K/month)
As a customer success manager, you could leverage your professional expertise to create a niche website focused on customer service techniques, tools, and best practices. By sharing your knowledge and experiences, you could attract an audience of professionals looking to improve their skills and businesses aiming to enhance their customer success strategies.
You could monetize your site through various means such as affiliate marketing by recommending helpful software, ad placements, or even selling downloadable guides and courses. Over time, as your site gains traffic and followers, it could evolve into a reliable source of passive income, offering you both creative fulfillment and financial benefit.
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.
7. Make passive income with a YouTube channel ($72.1K/month)
As a customer success manager, you could leverage your skills to start a YouTube channel. You possess valuable insights into customer satisfaction and problem-solving, which could translate well into video content that helps others navigate similar challenges. For example, you could create tutorials on effective communication strategies, share best practices for customer retention, or offer advice on using specific tools and software.
Starting a YouTube channel offers you the chance to earn passive income through ad revenue, sponsorships, and merchandise sales. By consistently producing high-quality content and engaging with your audience, you could gradually build a loyal following. While it requires effort and time, the potential for financial rewards and personal fulfillment makes it a worthwhile venture.
Even if you're new to video creation, your experience interacting with clients can help you produce content that's both relatable and informative. Over time, as your channel grows, it could become a significant source of supplemental income. Plus, sharing your expertise online can also enhance your credibility and professional network.
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.
8. Make passive income with a web scraping API ($34.2K/month)
As a customer success manager, you could leverage your understanding of business needs to create a web scraping API, which allows companies to automatically gather and analyze data from the web. This could involve collecting information for market research, competitor analysis, or content aggregation, saving businesses the time and effort of manual data collection.
You could start by focusing on a specific niche or industry where you see a demand for this kind of service. Over time, as your API gains traction and reliability, you could expand to serve a broader range of industries. This type of business could provide you with a steady stream of passive income, as companies will continually need data to drive their decisions.
How much you can make: $50 — $125,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $900 (?)
How long does it take to build: 105 days (?)
PlanIt is a travel recommendation and planning platform that has seen compelling growth in database coverage and user growth, covering every country in the world with several thousand users and a large SEO focus as well as a growing interest from travel and lifestyle businesses to list their details.
9. Make passive income with a health and wellness app ($108K/month)
As a Customer Success Manager, you could leverage your skills in relationship building and user engagement to create a health and wellness app that serves a growing market. Imagine offering personalized fitness routines, nutrition plans, and mental well-being exercises all in one user-friendly platform. With your experience in ensuring customer satisfaction, you could design an app that truly meets users’ needs, making it both useful and engaging.
Your ability to gather and analyze user feedback would be invaluable for continuous improvement of the app, making sure it remains relevant and effective. Collaborating with health experts and utilizing effective marketing strategies could also help you reach a wider audience. By starting this app, you’re not just creating a side income stream but also contributing positively to people's lives, offering them a virtual coach in their pocket.
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.
10. Make passive income with a mobile app ($70.3K/month)
As a customer success manager, your understanding of client needs and challenges can serve as a strong foundation for creating a mobile app. With your expertise in managing customer relationships, you could identify gaps in your industry and develop a solution that addresses common pain points.
Imagine creating an app that helps streamline customer follow-ups or provides insightful analytics to help customers get the most value from services. While the process involves planning, designing, and testing, you don’t necessarily need to be a coding expert—you could hire a developer to bring your vision to life.
With the right strategy and determination, your app could attract a user base and generate extra income, diversifying your revenue streams. The mobile app market is vast, and with a useful, well-marketed solution, you could tap into its potential and create an ongoing passive income source.
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.
11. Make passive income with a subscription box business ($97.9K/month)
Starting a subscription box business could be a smart side venture for customer success managers. Given your knack for understanding customer needs and enhancing their experience, you could design a subscription box that targets a specific niche market. Your expertise in communication and relationship-building would also help you establish strong relationships with suppliers and fulfillment companies, ensuring that your boxes are consistently high-quality and dispatched on time.
Besides showcasing exclusive products that customers would value, this side business could offer you an additional income stream with relatively low ongoing effort once it's set up. Your skills in resolving customer issues and improving their satisfaction could easily translate into delivering a delightful unboxing experience. By combining your customer insight with effective marketing strategies, you would have the potential to build a loyal subscriber base and generate passive income over time.
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.
12. Make passive income with a stock photography business ($14.6K/month)
If you are a customer success manager, starting a stock photography business could be a great way to supplement your income. Your background in understanding customer needs and keen attention to detail can help you take high-quality photos that appeal to a wide audience. By investing in good photography gear and building an impressive portfolio, you could sell your photos to businesses looking for marketing and advertising resources.
Additionally, the flexible nature of stock photography allows you to pursue this side hustle without disrupting your regular job. You could upload your photos to stock photography platforms in your free time and generate passive income from sales. Over time, your online presence and portfolio could grow, leading to faster sales and higher earnings.
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.
13. Make passive income with an ecommerce reselling business ($83.3K/month)
As a customer success manager, your skills in relationship building and problem-solving could serve you well in starting an eCommerce reselling business. By purchasing products at a lower cost and then selling them for a profit, you could generate an additional income stream. This is especially appealing because it allows you to enter the online business world without the upfront costs associated with creating new products.
You do not even need a website to get started—you could begin by selling through social media platforms. As your business grows and you gain more experience, you could consider setting up a dedicated website to expand your reach. This approach provides a manageable way to test the waters in eCommerce while leveraging your existing skill set.
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.
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.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
