Passive Income Ideas For It Operations Managers [2024]
Interested in earning passive income as a IT operations manager in 2024?
We put together a few of the best passive income ideas you can start as a IT operations 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 IT operations manager.
Here's the full list:
1. Make passive income with a niche blog ($31.5K/month)
As an IT operations manager, you could start a niche blog that dives deep into the intricacies of IT management, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, or the latest tech trends. By sharing your expertise through how-to guides, news updates, and practical tips, you can engage with a passionate online community hungry for insider knowledge. This could help you build a following and gain credibility in your field.
You could monetize your blog by including affiliate links to relevant products, collaborating with tech brands for reviews, or even branching out into video content on YouTube. Over time, as your readership grows, you could even be invited to speak at industry events, cementing your status as an expert while earning extra income on the side. All it takes is a bit of passion for your topic, consistent effort, and engaging content to get started.
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.
2. Make passive income with an online course sales business ($85K/month)
As an IT operations manager, you could use your expertise to create online courses that teach others valuable skills in your field. Whether it's managing IT infrastructure, optimizing system performance, or troubleshooting common issues, there are plenty of topics you could cover. By sharing your experience and knowledge, you could supplement your income with minimal ongoing effort.
Starting an online course sales business involves selecting a target audience, creating the course content, and choosing an online platform to sell it on. With the e-learning market predicted to be worth over $645 billion in the coming years, there's a huge opportunity to make money from what you love. Plus, once your courses are created, they can generate passive income while you focus on your main job.
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 workforce automation tool
As an IT operations manager, you could start earning passive income by developing and selling workforce automation tools. These tools simplify the modern workplace by automating repetitive tasks like data entry and customer queries, allowing employees to concentrate on more strategic activities.
Initially, you'd identify which tasks are best suited for automation and choose the right tools to handle them. Over time, you'll fine-tune these processes to keep up with changing needs. This approach is particularly valuable for startups and small businesses, which often lack the resources to manage all tasks manually.
By offering automation solutions that save time and reduce human error, you'll help other businesses operate more efficiently. This venture not only aligns with your expertise in IT operations but also leverages AI and machine learning, making it a smart move for a tech-savvy professional looking to explore entrepreneurial opportunities.
4. Make passive income with an ai based business solution ($55.8K/month)
As an IT operations manager, you could consider starting an AI-based business solution to make extra money and create passive income. AI can help companies streamline various business processes, including customer service and inventory management, by automating repetitive tasks and providing valuable insights. This effectively reduces operational costs and improves efficiency, making it attractive to potential clients.
The demand for AI solutions is growing as more businesses seek to gain a competitive edge through data-driven decisions. Your expertise in IT operations positions you well to understand the value AI can bring, even if you don't have a background in AI technology itself. Many platforms offer user-friendly interfaces and robust support to help you 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.
5. Make passive income with an AI writing tool ($255K/month)
As an IT operations manager, you could leverage your technical expertise to develop an AI writing tool that helps generate content efficiently. This tool could cater to businesses, bloggers, and students who need high-quality, error-free content quickly. By integrating AI, your tool could automate many aspects of writing, reducing the time and effort traditionally invested in content creation.
This venture taps into the growing demand for continuous, well-crafted content in today's digital age. You could offer a transformative solution that not only eases the workload for writers but also positions you at the forefront of technological innovation. Starting an AI writing tool could provide you with a steady stream of passive income while making a significant impact on how the world produces content.
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.
6. Make passive income with a laser cut coasters business
As an IT operations manager, you might enjoy creating a laser-cut coasters business as a side hustle. Given your familiarity with technology and precision-based systems, you could easily adapt to using laser-cutting machines. This business allows you to express creativity through custom designs, bringing your coasters to life with detail and accuracy while having the flexibility to operate it on your own schedule.
By combining your technical skills with an interest in décor crafts, you could produce unique, intricate coaster designs that are both functional and visually appealing. The low-cost production enabled by laser cutting means you could maximize profits with minimal investment. This side business offers an opportunity to tap into a niche market while providing an enjoyable, creative outlet.
7. Make passive income with a mobile app ($70.3K/month)
As an IT operations manager, you could leverage your technical skills and industry experience to develop a mobile app, turning a bright idea into a source of passive income. Developing an app involves creating a software application for smartphones or tablets, which can cater to various user needs, from productivity tools to games. While a basic understanding of coding is helpful, you also have the option to hire skilled developers to bring your vision to life.
Your project tasks would typically include planning the user experience, designing engaging interfaces, and thorough testing for bugs and functionality. Once developed, effective marketing is crucial to attract users and achieve downloads. Given the integral role of mobile apps in daily life, your effort could lead to significant user engagement and revenue. Whether you aim to solve a common problem or provide entertainment, starting a mobile app business could be a highly rewarding venture.
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. Make passive income with a social media automation business ($139K/month)
As an IT operations manager, starting a social media automation business could be a fantastic way to leverage your technical skills into a profitable side venture. Imagine creating tools that help clients—such as small businesses and influencers—schedule posts, automate interactions, and analyze social media data with minimal effort. You could not only save them valuable time but also boost their social media presence, offering a service that's in high demand.
Given your background, you could easily become adept at developing or integrating the necessary software solutions. The job would also require you to stay updated on the latest social media trends and build client relationships to customize your services, making it a rewarding and potentially lucrative opportunity. This aligns well with your existing expertise and could provide a steady stream of extra income with some initial setup and ongoing management.
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.
9. Make passive income with a payment app ($716K/month)
As an IT operations manager, you could start a payment app to tap into the growing trend of mobile payments. With your technical skills and knowledge of system integration, developing a user-friendly payment app could be a lucrative side project. There's a substantial market for payment apps, and your expertise could help you create a secure and reliable product that appeals to both business owners and professionals needing flexibility in payment options.
Creating a payment app doesn’t require a massive initial investment, making it a feasible business venture alongside your current role. Given the increasing popularity of mobile payments, your app could capture a share of this expanding market, allowing you to generate passive income. This could be a smart way to leverage your IT knowledge into a profitable side hustle.
How much you can make: $1,000 — $2,000,000/month
How long does it take to build: 165 days (?)
Payment.co, an app built on top of the Stripe payment gateway for creating card-present charges, has grown to process over $70M in volume annually since launching in 2015, with the app collecting a 1% service fee on every single charge.
10. Make passive income with an outdoor sports store ($31.4K/month)
As an IT operations manager, starting an outdoor sports store could be a great way to blend your love for the outdoors with entrepreneurial ambitions. You could explore setting up a physical shop in a location frequented by outdoor enthusiasts or an online store to reach a broader audience. Such a store involves selling gear and equipment for activities like hiking, camping, and kayaking, which not only supplements your income but also lets you share your passion with others.
Your background in IT could be a significant advantage in running an online store, leveraging your tech skills to build an efficient and engaging e-commerce platform. Understanding product demand and building strong relationships with suppliers will be key, helping you stock popular items from well-known brands. Additionally, hosting workshops or demo days could attract customers and drive more sales, making this venture both rewarding and profitable.
How much you can make: $1,985 — $125,000/month
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
Australian woman launches affordable activewear store with only $150 and now sees over $1.5 million a year in revenue, using Shopify as the sales platform and Facebook and Instagram campaigns as the best source of advertising.
11. Make passive income with a stock investing business ($30.3K/month)
Starting a stock investing business could be a smart move for an IT operations manager due to your analytical skills and familiarity with data. This business revolves around buying and selling stocks to generate profit, requiring a keen eye on market trends and informed decision-making.
Your technical expertise can help you better understand and utilize trading platforms and tools, enabling you to make precise trades. While it does require continuous learning and dedication, this venture offers the potential for high returns if you’re willing to strategize and manage risks effectively.
By leveraging your existing skills, you could turn an interest in finance into a profitable sideline. Keep in mind, though, that success in stock investing depends on thorough analysis and strategic planning, rather than quick wins.
How much you can make: $4,000 — $160,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $3,500 (?)
How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)
Ticker Nerd is a monthly subscription service for investors that surfaces and analyzes trending stocks before the hype train arrives, and now has $4.5k in monthly recurring revenue from its newsletter without spending a single dollar on advertising, having validated the business via subreddits and organic Product Hunt launch strategy.
12. Make passive income with a mobile mechanic service
If you're an IT operations manager with a knack for cars and an entrepreneurial spirit, starting a mobile mechanic service might be a rewarding side hustle. Given the strong demand for quick, on-the-spot automotive repairs and an estimated market size of $810 billion by 2026, there is ample opportunity to generate extra income. You could leverage your problem-solving skills and experience in managing complex systems to efficiently run a mobile mechanic service, setting your own hours and choosing the areas you want to cover.
Since you could start this business part-time or full-time and decide whether to work for a shop or independently, it's a flexible option for supplementing your current income. If you've always dreamed of running your own business, a mobile mechanic service could fulfill that ambition while allowing you to do something you love. This venture allows you to combine your technical expertise with hands-on automotive repair, catering to a market with significant growth potential.
How much you can make: $4,000/month
Retro Radio Farm founder, Allen Chiang, earns $50k per year as a side business restoring old radios and offering Bluetooth MP3 upgrades, with the business growing 20% every year.
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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.
