14 Scalable Business Ideas To Start In [2024]

Updated: February 22nd, 2024

Are you considering starting a Scalable Business?

A scalable business is one that can start small, expand consistently, and eventually employ thousands of people throughout the globe. If you're an entrepreneur, learning how to launch a scalable business is essential.

Scalable means "able to rapidly increase in size, volume, or scope." You need several orders of magnitude growth before you can actually call a business scalable. A scalable business is one that can grow steadily and start small but end up having thousands of employees based all over the world. Without compromising the essential nature of your firm, you may develop and expand through this. As a result, you won't need to make any adjustments to your business procedures or recruit any additional personnel to handle any new clients, customers, or products. The very first step for you to start a Scalable business is by creating an investor-friendly company strategy.

One of the most crucial parts of creating a successful business is having a good scalable business idea. These businesses have large profit margins, little maintenance, and few employees.

We've compiled a list of the most profitable Scalable Business ventures you can start.

In this list of ideas, you can find: - Home-based scalable business ideas to start - Low-investment scalable business ideas - Unique scalable business opportunities

Here is a list of the top 14 scalable businesses you can start:

1. Create an online course

An online course business involves creating and selling digital classes teaching specialized skills or knowledge to subscribed students.

As an entrepreneurial course creator, you identify educational gaps around topics you have expertise in and develop engaging video lessons and supplementary materials.

With flexibility around self-paced or cohort-based structures, building a student base provides passive income potential.

For founders who enjoy information-sharing, launching an online course platform presents a lucrative way to monetize your instructional talents with small startup costs by serving eager lifelong learners seeking convenient access to emerging subjects.

How much you can make: $275 — $1,000,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $2,000 (?)

How long does it take to build: 88 days (?)

How This 28-Year-Old Couple Quit Their Jobs And Make $20K/Month Running A Blog

Learn how one couple created a successful personal finance blog, The Savvy Couple, that now makes over $20,000 per month and has sold thousands of digital workbooks and courses, by focusing on purposeful content and optimizing their ROI with efficient time management.

Read by 28,861 founders

2. Start a freelance content writing & copywriting service

Freelance content writing & copywriting service is a business that provides clients with high-quality content to promote their business. The ability to work remotely allows many people to start their own freelance work without having to worry about finding a job locally or commuting long distances every day.

There are several ways someone can earn money from a freelance content writing & copywriting service. As a freelancer, you can earn money by charging your clients per word/page/project. The amount of money you charge depends on many factors: the type of content being created (blog post vs. white paper), the length of the content, or the number of keywords that have been used for a project.

How much you can make: $62,500/month

How much does it cost to start: $98 (?)

How long does it take to build: 101 days (?)

How We Started A $514K/Year Content Curation Agency With Just $35 [From India]

Content-Whale, a content curation agency, has achieved a Rs. 4 crore ($514k/year) turnover 4-5 years after being started with just Rs. 2500 ($35), and has a pool of more than 500 writers, aiming to become a market leader in the global content market.

Read by 6,198 founders

3. Start a fitness coaching business

Did you know that more and more people are embracing healthier lifestyles these days? That's why there's a high demand for fitness services worldwide.

Starting a fitness coaching business is one of the best ways to follow your passion and make money doing it.

If you love people and have an interest in helping them achieve their health goals, starting a fitness coaching business may be right for you. It can be as simple as providing one-on-one training, or you can offer group sessions.

How much you can make: $9,000 — $59,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $1,500 (?)

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

How I Developed A $20K/Month Software For Personal Trainers

FitSW founder Jacob Montoya bootstrapped his company to $25K monthly revenue, helping over 20,000 personal trainers manage their businesses through software that enables them to create workouts, track progress, plan meals, accept payments, and manage schedules, and has now expanded to include FindTrainGain, enabling people to join live online fitness classes from the comfort of their homes.

Read by 10,422 founders

4. Start a digital marketing business

Digital marketing businesses serve local and international companies to expand their reach and grow revenue. A top reason digital marketing is so exciting is that the field is constantly evolving and is easy to learn.

If you plan to start a digital marketing business, educate yourself and understand how digital marketing agencies work. Then, focus on building your digital skills and advancing your career through online digital marketing courses.

To stand out, find a digital marketing niche and focus on the audience interested in your services.

How much you can make: $100 — $1,250,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $2,500 (?)

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

I Built A SEO Tool That's Completely Free For Users [From Lebanon]

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.

Read by 14,133 founders

5. Start a beauty business

The beauty industry is growing at a rapid pace - valued at $511B in 2021, with an annual compounded growth rate of 4.75% worldwide. The beauty industry is predicted to exceed $716B by 2025.

If you are thinking of starting your own beauty business, there are many opportunities in this space to succeed. The most profitable branches in this industry include makeup, skincare, and hair products.

How much you can make: $1,500 — $658,333/month

How long does it take to build: 150 days (?)

How I Started A $650K/Month Hair Extensions And Products Business

Private Label Extensions is a hair distribution and technology company that builds hair brands from A to Z for entrepreneurs, achieving over $650,000 in monthly sales and ranked #278 of the fastest-growing companies by Inc Magazine for 2018.

Read by 37,842 founders

6. Become a graphic designer

Graphic designing involves creating sketch designs and materials for corporate clients, advertising agencies, public relations firms, and publishers. Besides, graphic designers provide visual solutions to specific company images, log design, and branding problems.

Graphic design is an excellent career for creative thinkers who enjoy using their talent and artistic skills combined with technology and communication abilities to come up with unique solutions for their clients.

How much you can make: $1,000 — $81,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $700 (?)

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

How I Started A $6K/Month SEO And Digital Marketing Agency In Bangladesh

This case study features Md. Yousuf Ali, the founder of Rank Trends, who shares how he started a successful digital marketing agency, which generated a revenue of over $6k per month through SEO and video production services.

Read by 12,518 founders

7. Start a food truck

Food trucks are a highly profitable business that offers customers a variety of meal options out of a mobile truck. This basically operates inside a large vehicle equipped with kitchen and food products. Starting a food truck is a dream for many people, but it's more challenging than it looks. To make it work, you need the ideal location and menu.

To start a food truck business in a particular city, it is mandatory to check what kind of food trucks are already operating, identify a gap, and bring in some new experiences. Then, with the right plan and the right approach, you can be on your way to starting your own food truck empire.

How much you can make: $30,000 — $1,500,000/month

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

Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week

How I Took Food Trucks Corporate And Built A $18M Business

Food Fleet grew over 160% in just one year and managed over 20 million in sales for its clients, securing multiple contracts with the likes of Sodexo, Levy Restaurants and more, due to its understanding of catering client needs and its advanced turnkey and design services.

Read by 15,656 founders

8. Become an event photographer

Do you enjoy capturing memorable moments? Becoming an event photographer is a great way to combine your love for photography with your love for events.

Event photographers often work for companies that specialize in event photography. They are hired because of their expertise and experience with the kinds of events they will be covering. They may also be hired by individual clients who have a specific need for event coverage, such as a wedding or corporate retreat. You can find potential clients through social media or local networking groups; once you've got a few clients lined up, start scheduling events with them so you can really show off your skills.

Aside from having a passion for photography, it's also important that you have some experience with lighting and setting up equipment at events. You should also be aware of how various lenses function and what they are used for.

How much you can make: $14,000 — $50,001/month

How long does it take to build: 97 days (?)

How I Run A $50K/Month Wedding Photography Studio Like A Startup

This case study follows the journey of an Indian first-generation entrepreneur who built Studio 31, a profitable and award-winning wedding photography and film company capturing over 350 weddings annually, with a unique focus on customer experience and organic marketing, serving more than 90% NRI clients and generating an annual revenue of about a million dollars.

Read by 17,817 founders

9. Start a landscaping business

A landscaping business is engaged in maintaining lawns and gardens, trimming trees and shrubs, and providing landscape maintenance and beautification services. Landscaping costs vary depending on the size and location.

For small jobs such as taking care of the lawn and trees, the cost can vary from $50 to $100 per hour. The average wage of a landscape designer is $70,000 to $90,000, and a landscape architect makes around $50,000 to $100,000 per year. For basic maintenance and mowing services, a single person who runs a landscaping business can get started with as little as $5,000 or less. However, a proper landscaping business will require a large investment. The average start-up cost is between $15,000 to $20,000.

Once the type of service is decided, the list of tools and equipment can be purchased. The best way to succeed in a landscaping business is to provide quality service. This will not only retain existing clients but also promote and attract new customers.

How much you can make: $2,000 — $375,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $8,000 (?)

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

Uber For Lawn Care: How I Built A $30M Software

GreenPal has bootstrapped their business to over $30 million a year in revenue, after securing an unsecured line of credit for $85,000, and have built the operating system and platform for small lawncare companies to run their entire business through, becoming live in all 50 US states and having 1.2 million homeowners using the platform.

Read by 5,250 founders

10. Digital products

Digital products are top-rated. They’re easy to create and share and a great way to build a business.

Digital products can be software-based, like an app or game, or information-based, like an ebook or course. They can also be something else entirely—like a membership site or a community. The possibilities are endless!

So what makes digital products such a great way to build a business? Well, first of all, they’re effortless to create. You don’t have to hire anyone else to do it for you; you can do it yourself! And because there’s no risk of having inventory sitting around in your garage, digital products can be sold directly from your website without worrying about moving merchandise.

How much you can make: $10,417 — $1,766,666/month

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

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

How We Created A $30K/Month Marketplace Of Photo Filters And Digital Assets For Creatives

FilterGrade is an eCommerce platform offering digital assets such as photo filters and video templates; attracting over 450,000 monthly users and generating approximately 30k a month, the founders worked hard to build a valuable marketplace for creators while focusing on digital marketing, partnerships, and content creation.

Read by 11,056 founders

11. Start a dropshipping business

Dropshipping is a business model where you sell products to customers without holding inventory.

Instead, when a customer makes a purchase, you buy the product from a third-party supplier, who then ships it directly to the customer.

To start a dropshipping business on a budget, choose a niche or category of products you want to sell.

Next, set up an online store using platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce. Then, find reliable suppliers from platforms like AliExpress, list their products on your store, and focus on marketing and customer service to grow your business.

Remember to carefully manage your expenses and monitor your profit margins to ensure profitability.

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

How I Started A $100K/Month Business Mentoring Dropshipping Entrepreneurs

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.

Read by 25,765 founders

12. Start a real estate business

Are you a qualified architect with a broad range of knowledge in the real estate field? Starting a real estate business can be a profitable venture.

Real estate involves purchasing, selling, managing, or investing in land and buildings.

To become a successful real estate business owner, you must have finely honed visual awareness and a strong understanding of various building materials and structures.

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

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

How I Started A $500K/Month Real Estate Investment Business

This case study is about T. C. Lewis & Co, a real estate investment and management firm that successfully diversified their approach to include sales, development, remodeling, and construction, with property management being the key to investor doors and organic growth.

Read by 12,048 founders

13. Start a podcast, blog, or YouTube channel

If you’ve ever thought about starting a podcast, blog, or YouTube channel, you’re not alone. Podcasts, blogs, and YouTube channels are some of the most popular forms of media on the internet today—and they’re all relatively easy to start.

If you're considering starting a podcast, blog, or YouTube channel, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, it's important to create a distinct brand identity that is recognizable and memorable. Think about what kind of content you'll be sharing and how it will be delivered. Once you've decided on the type of content that resonates with your target audience, it's time to start promoting. Be consistent with your content and try to find a way to make it interesting and engaging for others.

How much does it cost to start: $100 (?)

How long does it take to build: 1 days (?)

14. Start a cleaning business

Starting a cleaning business is an excellent opportunity to be your boss and make money doing what you love. This business is relatively easy to create and does not require much equipment or funds.

There are many cleaning services, so deciding what services (or combination of services) you will offer and what hours of the day or week those services will be available is essential.

To start cleaning service, you’ll want to consider investing in professional cleaning equipment such as a vacuum cleaner, a quality mop, and a good cleaning bucket. You will also need to buy environment-friendly cleaning products such as detergent, bleach, paper towels, and trash bags.

How much you can make: $2,000 — $708,333/month

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

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

How I Started A $100K+/Month Home Cleaning Service For Busy Individuals And Airbnb Hosts

MaidThis®, launched by Neel Parekh in Los Angeles with just one cleaner in 2013, has achieved over $10 million in total revenue by focusing on cleaning Airbnbs and vacation rentals, thanks to its successful remote business model and new-age marketing tactics, and has now launched MaidThis Franchise to expand the business further.

Read by 21,836 founders

meet the author
Pat Walls