The 53 Best Business Ideas To Start In Sweden [2024]

Updated: June 21st, 2022

Interested in starting a business in Sweden in 2024?

We put together 53 of the best businesses you can start in Sweden today.

In this list of ideas, you can find:

  • Home-based businesses to start in Sweden
  • Profitable online business ideas
  • Unique business opportunities for Sweden
  • Low investment business ideas (under $5k to start)
  • Easy businesses you can start in Sweden today

For each business idea, we’ll show you real-world examples, revenue expectations for each idea, + a step-by-step on how to start your small business in Sweden.

Here's the full list:

1. Start a natural chewing gum business

Chewing gum is a staple for many, but natural chewing gum offers a refreshing twist on a classic product. Starting a natural chewing gum business means producing gum made from organic ingredients, free from synthetic flavors and harmful chemicals.

This business appeals to health-conscious consumers and those seeking eco-friendly alternatives. Your primary tasks will include sourcing natural ingredients, developing gum flavors, and ensuring sustainable packaging. Additionally, you'll need to establish reliable supply chains and invest in marketing to highlight the benefits of going natural.

With rising consumer interest in organic and sustainable products, a natural chewing gum business taps into a growing market. This business not only caters to changing consumer preferences but also aligns with a broader movement towards healthier living and environmental responsibility. If you’re passionate about health and sustainability, this could be your perfect venture.

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

How much does it cost to start: $190 (?)

How long does it take to build: 20 days (?)

How A Subreddit Motivated Me To Create A Chewing Gum That Improves Your Jawline [$9K/Month]

STEEL - Jawline Gum founder Matt Phelps talks about how he stumbled upon his unique product niche and gained traction through organic search and YouTube content marketing, earning a current monthly revenue of $9k despite only investing $5k since he started.

Read by 5,558 founders

2. Start a city maps business

The city maps business involves creating and selling customized maps of cities, neighborhoods, or specific areas.

The city maps can be used for decorative purposes, navigation aids, or as unique gifts.

To start this business on a budget, you can begin by researching and selecting popular cities or areas to create maps for.

Next, design the maps using graphic design software or outsource the design work if needed.

Finally, consider selling the maps online through platforms like Etsy, your own website, or at local markets and events.

How much you can make: $200 — $416,666/month

How much does it cost to start: $2,600 (?)

How long does it take to build: 45 days (?)

How Two Brothers Started A $3.5K/Month Side Hustle Sells Custom Maps

How a pair of engineering students co-founded Mapsery, a unique custom map poster business, and grew it into a $3.5k/month side hustle with a 25% profit margin in just over two years, despite facing increasing competition in the map poster niche.

Read by 9,241 founders

3. Start a fashion business

In 2022, the fashion industry was valued at $473.42B, with a growth rate of 8.3% over last year. To become successful in this highly competitive & ever-growing industry, you must have passion, perseverance, and the ability to take risks.

With platforms like TikTok and Instagram, the way that fashion products are marketed online has completely changed, so it’s essential to keep up with these trends.

How much you can make: $100 — $2,100,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $7,500 (?)

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

How I Started A $220K/Month Brand Of Sustainable Everyday Products

A sustainable and social impact startup founded in Stockholm, Sweden, Agood Company sells elegant, everyday products in sustainable materials, and has achieved a global customer base of about thirty thousand customers and average monthly revenue of $220,000 in just over a year, with a mission to inspire people to transform from mindless consumerism towards making more conscious decisions.

Read by 8,215 founders

4. Start a custom prints business

Custom print businesses often focus on printing everything, including business cards, photos, and even custom T-shirts.

To start an online custom prints business, choose a niche to help your business stand out and attract the right target audience. Then, focus on producing quality prints of different sizes, materials, and designs. You may hire designers online or search for designs in online design communities. Then, validate the designs before you begin mass production. Finally, set up an online store, and launch the business.

Remember that with the growth in popularity of selling custom prints, expect to face stiff competition. Therefore, you should market your custom prints on social media to maximize your reach.

How much you can make: $1,000 — $3,000,000/month

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

How long does it take to build: 365 days (?)

Starting and Growing a Business from Sweden to $3,700/month

PinAround, a Swedish company founded by a 23-year-old entrepreneur, produces wall maps with pins and made $44,000 USD in 2017, with approximate 35% increase in every quarter, using effective marketing strategies such as Instagram, Facebook ads and influencers.

Read by 6,450 founders

5. Become a mobile personal trainer

Do you love helping people through their fitness journey? If you want a great side hustle to earn extra income, consider becoming a personal trainer.

The fitness trainer side hustle can be an adamant industry to earn good money. However, once you develop a reputation as a good trainer, you can get more clients through referrals. You need to register for the certification course to start offering personal trainer services in Sweden.

To attract your first clients, consider online advertising, and seek referrals from every customer.

How much you can make: $600 — $60,000/month

How long does it take to build: 365 days (?)

Time commitment per week: Min. 4 hours/week

How We Launched A $25K/Month Interactive Live Streaming Group Fitness Workout Platfrom During The Pandemic

Sweat from Home is a two-way, interactive, and live-streaming group fitness workout startup that has held over 800 classes since March 2020, generates $25k in monthly recurring revenue, and has donated over $7k to 6 different charities; they aim to become the world's best live-streamed fitness class.

Read by 9,166 founders

6. Become a proofreader

Proofreading business is a service that helps customers review their written work and ensure it is ready for publication. Typically, a proofreader corrects grammatical errors and provides the written piece meets any relevant style guide.

As a proofreader, you can work online, allowing you to choose what time to work.

If you plan to start a professional proofreading business in Sweden, make sure you possess the following skills:

  • Have an excellent grasp of grammar
  • Ability to correct mistakenly capitalized words
  • Familiarity with the proper use of capitalization
  • Use spell-checkers to flag misspelled words

Proofreading is a great way to enhance content quality. With the increased use of written content marketing to reach a broader market, the demand for professional proofreaders has grown tremendously. Professional proofreaders earn an average of $12/hr. And $30/hr.

Therefore, consider proofreading as a business if you are looking for a great side hustle idea or simply looking for ways to increase your income.

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

How I Added $2,000 To My Monthly Income Proofreading Blog Posts

A proofreader was able to build a consistent income of ~$2,000 per month from scratch with zero experience in the field, no expenses, and barely any upfront costs by targeting bloggers and content creators who want their content to be copy edited and proofread.

Read by 15,013 founders

7. 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 25,756 founders

8. Start an online video editing business

Video editors manage camera footage, dialogue, sound effects, graphics, and special effects to produce the final film or video product. To become an online video editor, you must have media production and communication knowledge and the ability to work with others.

To start a video editing business, you can outsource video editing skills from an experienced professional. Your role will be to pick video footage from the customers and upload them for the video editor to do the magic.

How much you can make: $2,000 — $100,000/month

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

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

How We Developed A $6K/Month Online Video Editing Software

VEED.IO, a London-based start-up co-founded by Sabba and her partner, offers a simple online video editing platform using batch job cloud architecture to help social media managers across the world auto subtitle, filter, rotate videos and much more, earning the company $5,300 MRR and the founders Ramen profitability within just a year of starting.

Read by 12,974 founders

9. Start an affiliate marketing business

Are you looking for a side hustle to pay you a passive income? Affiliate marketing is one of those side hustles that will pay you well over the long term. It is a way to earn money online by promoting other companies' products and services. You will be paid a commission for each sale you make as an affiliate marketer.

To get started, learn how to find the right product and brand to partner with. For example, you may prefer becoming an affiliate marketer for an eCommerce store, partnering with a manufacturer, and marketing their products for a commission.

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 (?)

How I Built A $3.5K/Month Authority Site With A Full Time Job

Bar Games 101 is an authority website about classic bar games with over 200K monthly visitors and revenue over $4,000 for the month of August, achieved through consistent publishing of researched articles and outsourcing by the founder.

Read by 31,455 founders

10. Start a SEO agency

An SEO agency is a company that provides search engine optimization services to businesses. The function of an SEO agency is to help businesses rank higher in search engines through organic or paid means.

SEO is a rapidly growing industry, with experts across all aspects of the field already making six-figure incomes and expecting to see these earnings grow dramatically over the next few years. Getting into SEO today, before it gets too saturated, will allow you to establish a strong base in a new career, with an excellent chance for success.

It’s easier than ever to start your SEO agency in Sweden. The tools are there, and the competition isn’t as stiff as it used to be. If you’re considering starting an SEO or digital marketing agency, it might be a good idea to learn how other digital agencies succeed.

How much you can make: $1,000 — $1,800,000/month

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

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

How I Started An SEO Agency For Lawyers Generating $3.6M/Year

Rankings.io is a hyper-focused SEO agency that helps elite personal injury law firms dominate first page rankings and was ranked #858 in the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing companies in America for 2018, with a current revenue just under $300,000 per month, with plans for a record-breaking year.

Read by 38,807 founders

11. Start a podcast agency

A podcast agency builds and promotes podcasts for other businesses. The podcast agencies develop strategies for making the client's podcast a success.

If you plan to start your own podcast agency, you may offer full podcast services or identify a niche and focus on it. Options include:

  • Podcast production agency - Creates audio content for podcasts
  • Podcast advertising agency - Advertise on podcasts
  • Podcast editing agencies - Edit podcast episodes
  • Podcast marketing agencies - Build podcasts to market the business or market businesses through other podcasts.
  • Podcast booking agencies - Booking podcasts guests.
  • Podcast promotion agency - Promote podcasts.

Building and growing a podcast requires some level of skills and expertise that many businesses may lack. Thus, they hire a podcast agency to help in all or particular aspects of podcast building and marketing.

How much you can make: $5,000 — $30,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $1,000 (?)

How long does it take to build: 48 days (?)

How I Started A $17K/Month Podcast Growth Service

Fame's founder, Tom Hunt, shares how he started a $17k/month podcast growth service for B2B SaaS and service businesses, and provides insights on how he grew the business to $20k MRR and his plans to hit $50k MRR by the end of 2021 through prioritizing revenue and customer satisfaction.

Read by 7,090 founders

12. Start an ecommerce platform

Over the past decade, eCommerce has become an indispensable part of the global retail framework. According to statistics, over 2 billion people prefer shopping online.

While brick-and-mortar stores are still making more sales compared to online sales, the adoption of eCommerce is still rising, mainly because of the increased speed and convenience of online shopping.

Therefore, starting an eCommerce platform could set you on the right path to building a futuristic business.

How much you can make: $100 — $2,000,000/month

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

How I Left My Job To Start A $9K/Month CAD Design Business

A 3D CAD designer and product inventor who started as a side hustle and averaged $9,000 a month in revenue, shares his insights on the ups and downs of owning a service-based business alongside an eCommerce store, as well as lessons learned in customer acquisition and in generating multiple streams of passive income.

Read by 20,198 founders

13. Become a real estate agent

Real estate agents are professionals who assist clients in marketing and selling their properties. They also assist the buyers in purchasing properties. Their services include meeting clients, advising them about market conditions, and providing guidance through the process of buying or selling properties.

A real estate career can be financially rewarding. However, the work requires good management skills, organization skills, customer service, handling complex paperwork and socially promoting yourself.

The pros of becoming a real estate agent include earning extra commission from clients and also setting your own working hours.

How much you can make: $5,000 — $1,500,000/month

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

How I Became A Real Estate Agent And Started My Own Firm

Residential real estate company, Vesta Preferred, celebrates their 10th year of operation with 80% referral-based business and focus on relationship building, recently achieving their goal of 1000 new leases and $120M in real estate sales in 2019.

Read by 8,600 founders

14. Start a hair salon

Hair salons offer a wide range of beauty services including hair-cutting, waxing, nail treatment, massages, and complementary care such as aromatherapy.

With the increased demand for high fashion beauty services, starting a hair salon could be a profitable venture.

To start a hair salon in Sweden, you need a strong business plan and find a niche that attracts a local client base. To succeed, hire knowledgeable and experienced employees, and encourage them to maintain a good customer service culture,

How much you can make: $30,000 — $550,000/month

How long does it take to build: 75 days (?)

How I Went From Hairstylist To Running My Own $3.3M Salon Business

This case study follows the founder of Urban Betty, who started her salon business with only one contractor, and now has two locations with over 50 employees, growing from 1.5 million to 3.4 million in revenue from 2014-2018, and investing around 2% of its gross income every year in Yelp, Google, and Facebook Ads.

Read by 21,600 founders

15. 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 in Sweden, 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 21,827 founders

16. Start a catering business

A catering business is responsible for providing food & beverage-related services for vast types of events.

Catering businesses are known to be more flexible than other businesses because they don’t have to worry about location or pricing and can even work 24/7. They can cater anywhere and offer any price point that they want.

However, starting a catering business requires a lot of planning.

To start a successful catering business in Sweden, you'll need to plan and prepare menus, manage budgets, handle clients, and more.

In addition, catering allows you to meet more people and show off your cooking skills.

How much you can make: $4,000 — $6,000,000/month

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

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

Pivoting From Social Media Aggregator To $6M/Month People Search Tool

Spokeo is a people information service helping over 15 million users a month search and connect with others through organizing over 14 billion records into easy-to-understand reports generating over $6M per month.

Read by 20,898 founders

17. 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 5,247 founders

18. Become a wedding planner

A wedding planner assists with designing, planning, and managing a wedding, so the bride and groom have the happiest day. Wedding planners enjoy a flexible working schedule and opportunities to travel locally and globally, and it’s a great career with numerous growth opportunities.

To start a wedding planning business in Sweden, identify your target clientele and study their wedding cultures so you can offer the clients excellent service. Remember, excellent wedding planning is all about having the passion and knowing how to harness that passion for designing weddings that bring out the emotions of those in attendance.

How much you can make: $774 — $200,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $6,735 (?)

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

How Starting The New York Food Truck Association Resulted In A $200K/Month Business

How a former food truck owner founded the successful New York Food Truck Association which generated over $1M in its first year of business, providing local vendors with high-margin ancillary revenue streams, and saw consistent growth of 50% YoY.

Read by 8,622 founders

19. Start a coffee cafe business

A coffee shop is a popular spot for customers to enjoy freshly brewed coffee, tea, and light snacks in a comfortable and welcoming environment.

These cafes are typically furnished with comfortable seating, free Wi-Fi, and a pleasant ambiance that provides a relaxed environment for people to gather, work or unwind.

To succeed in this business, it is essential to offer high-quality coffee, create a pleasant atmosphere, and provide excellent customer service.

With the increasing demand for specialty coffee experiences, starting a coffee cafe can be a lucrative business opportunity that caters to the widespread love for coffee and the need for communal spaces to enjoy it.

How much you can make: $13,000/month

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

How We Started A $13K/Month Coffee Shop And Coworking Space

Chicago based Ignite Technology and Innovation-owned Momentum Coffee & Coworking, which focuses on coffee, coworking, community, and event space, rakes in about $17-20k a month in revenue, mostly from online and offline advertising, and just celebrated their first anniversary, with plans to open 2 more locations in Chicago in under-resourced communities.

Read by 6,088 founders

20. Start an event planning business

Event planners handle different tasks related to making the business a success. Some of the event planner’s responsibilities include:

  • Conducting research
  • Creating the event design
  • Finding an ideal site
  • Arranging for food, décor, and entertainment
  • Planning logistics to and from the event
  • Sending invitations
  • Supervising at the site etc

To start this business on a budget, begin by honing your organizational and communication skills.

Next, create a detailed business plan outlining your services, target market, and pricing structure.

Utilize free or low-cost online tools for marketing, and consider starting small by offering services for smaller events before expanding your business as you gain experience and resources.

How much you can make: $20,000 — $500,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $1,000 (?)

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

How I Started A $35K/Month Event Decor Business

Akshay Patel's event rental and decor business, Simply Decor, Tents, and Events, saw an average ticket price of $2,000, as their advertising budget decreased from $20k to $5k, leading to 40% of their clients coming through social media advertising, 30% from expos, and 30% online in google, yahoo, and other platforms.

Read by 17,922 founders

21. Start a pet store

Pet stores are retail businesses that sell animals and pet supplies. They are a leading industry category with sales of approximately $4.5B U.S dollars and positive sales growth of 2.7%.

You can set up a pet store in many places, like supermarkets, malls, or pet supply stores.

The first thing to do is to find a location for your store. A good place would be an area with many residential buildings, schools, and colleges as this will give you access to many customers. It would help if you also looked for a location near public transport as it will make it easier for people to come and visit your store.

How much you can make: $400 — $1,833,333/month

How long does it take to build: 238 days (?)

How I Started A 6-Figures Business Selling A Dog Accessory

Mechanical engineer and avid bike rider Mike Leon turned his hobby of creating a safe bike-to-leash attachment for his service dog into a 6-figure business, shipping from hundreds to thousands of 1-Running-Dog Bike Tow Leashes per year to dog owners, military and law enforcement, and search and rescue teams.

Read by 14,353 founders

22. Start a boutique

You may consider opening a boutique if you are passionate about the fashion and textile industry.

A boutique is a shop that sells clothes. Opening a boutique is a dream for entrepreneurs who want to experience the joy and freedom of owning a cash business. Starting a boutique is easy and can be managed by a single individual. In addition, a boutique requires a comparatively smaller capital to start.

To succeed, the boutique owner must coming creativity and passion.

How much you can make: $10,000 — $25,000/month

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

How I Grew My Clothing Boutique to $10K/Month in 6 Months

Boutique Rye is an online-only women's clothing and accessories boutique that has grown to 3,200 Facebook Group members and a successful website through organic customer sharing, live sales, and open communication with customers.

Read by 36,945 founders

23. Start an online newspaper

Starting an online newspaper doesn't just mean reporting the news; it means shaping how stories are told and consumed in the digital age.

This business involves creating a virtual platform where readers get daily updates, in-depth analyses, and engaging content anytime, anywhere. Whether you focus on niche topics like tech, lifestyle, or local news, there's an audience waiting to be informed.

You'll need a proficient team of writers, editors, and designers to ensure quality content and appealing visuals. Combining robust SEO practices with captivating social media marketing will help your newspaper reach a broader readership.

Driven by the affordable costs of digital publishing, an online newspaper can offer an attractive return on investment. As the demand for real-time news continues to grow, now is an opportune time to create a platform that informs and influences the masses. If you're passionate about storytelling and journalism, this might just be your calling.

How long does it take to build: 30 days (?)

On Starting An Online Magazine To Build A Personal Brand

Entrepreneur Filip Poutintsev discusses his move from SMS and affiliate marketing to his current focus, building a recognizable online media through his online magazine, Honest Pros and Cons, with a current readership of 100,000 unique readers per month and a primary focus on SEO and backlink building.

Read by 4,308 founders

24. Start a cooking class

Online cooking classes can be a great side hustle for seasoned chefs or cooking enthusiasts looking for a way to earn some extra cash. You can create content and teach your audience how to prepare meals.

Consider creating members-only content to earn more from your cooking class side hustle. Alternatively, you can sell recipes for a small fee as well. To grow your reach, consider offering some free content on your social media pages as a way to build curiosity among potential audiences. You can charge your audiences a subscription fee so they can have exclusive access to your content.

To start cooking classes in Sweden, choose a niche and follow your passion. Create a website and maintain an active social media presence. Apart from online cooking classes or live sessions you can also offer exclusive offline weekend classes to give your audience a hands-on personal experience.

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

Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week

How I Started A Cooking Classes Business With 7 Locations

Hipcooks is a 7-location cooking school business that has grown organically to reach $100k/month in revenue, and attracts and retains customers through their communal approach, vibrant online presence, and updated Google and Yelp business pages.

Read by 10,017 founders

25. Start a shoe brand

Starting a shoe business can be very lucrative - you can make money by selling shoes, but you can also make money by buying shoes and then reselling them at a higher price.

It's an industry that's been around for hundreds of years, so it's well-established and has plenty of room for growth—especially if you can get in at the ground level. It's also easy to start with minimal investment: even if you only have enough money for two months' worth of inventory, you can still get started right away.

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

How long does it take to build: 455 days (?)

How I Started A $80K/Month Luxury Shoes And Accessories Brand

16-year-old entrepreneur founds KASA, an online luxury shoe and accessory boutique with over 270 luxury shoes in the collection, generating $80k in monthly profits and exploring expansion into lower-end shoes and custom shoes for the poor.

Read by 21,313 founders

26. Start a bridal accessories store

Bridal accessories are a great way to help you complete your wedding day look. Bridal accessories are something similar that surrounds weddings in our society. Bridal accessories are all the rage nowadays. These pretty things create the perfect set of accessories for the bridal.

The Bridal Wear market in the USA is estimated at $26B in 2020.

A bridal accessories store can provide you with high income and the ability to hire. Bridal occasions are exceptional and endure several phases. You could start a bridal accessories business with access to millions of customers from the first introduction until they get married.

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

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

How I Built A Six Figure Business Bringing Asian Culture To The American Wedding Industry

East Meets Dress, an e-commerce store that offers Chinese wedding dresses and traditional outfits, grew to a six-figure annual recurring revenue ($25k/month) in just one year by targeting Asian-American brides in the U.S and high school students looking to wear cheongsams to prom to celebrate their heritage.

Read by 22,201 founders

27. Start a music streaming app

Music streaming apps allow the consumption of audio content in different formats. The global music streaming market recently recorded a CAGR of 14.7%, and experts project it will reach $29.45 billion in the next few years.

The rising penetration of digital platforms and the growing use of smart devices are some factors boosting the market growth. Therefore, developing a music streaming app in 2024 can be a great chance to make money.

How much you can make: $70,000 — $150,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $3,000 (?)

How long does it take to build: 135 days (?)

How We Started A $150K/Month Platform Where Streamers Can Monetize Their Audience

Streamloots is a marketplace where viewers can buy real-time interactions with live streamers, allowing content creators to monetize their audiences and earning over $1M in just the last quarter with a community of more than 12K active streamers.

Read by 11,107 founders

28. Start a dance studio

The dance studio business idea involves providing a space for people to learn and practice various dance styles, such as ballet, jazz, hip-hop, and salsa. To start this business, you will need a space to hold classes, essential equipment, and instructors. You must schedule classes, advertise the business, manage finances, and create a positive student experience to operate it.

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

How long does it take to build: 912 days (?)

How I Grew My Fitness Studio To $480K/Year Despite The Pandemic

Launching and growing a high-end boutique fitness facility in Newport Beach, The LOOK Fitness pulls in $53,000 monthly and demonstrates how founder Bryan Greene overcame prolonged construction delays, stringent COVID-19 closures, and inefficient marketing firms to build a thriving business that caters to executives and fitness enthusiasts.

Read by 3,432 founders

29. Start a dog training business

Professional dog trainers can be an incredibly fulfilling profession, especially for dog lovers.

You can choose to work as an independent dog trainer or work under a company as a part-time trainer.

However, note that dog training takes more commitment for a part-time gig.

To get started, you need some education to understand how dogs behave and train them in new tricks. You will find tons of online resources on dog training.

Alternatively, you can work as an intern with local dog trainers to acquire the skills before setting up your dog training side hustle.

The average hourly rate for dog trainers is just over $50/ hr.

How much you can make: $5,000 — $8,000/month

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

Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week

How I Started A $5K/Month Dog Training Business

Fraternityk9 dog training is an example of how Donald's passion for dog training turned into a $5k/month business, by utilizing platforms like Facebook and Instagram, and learning about sales and business to scale the process.

Read by 8,070 founders

30. Start a restaurant

If you love cooking and are passionate about entrepreneurship, starting a restaurant can be a fun and lucrative business.

To get started, choose a great location, and hire an excellent support team. You will need a chef to inspect the food and line cooks, waiters, and waitresses to serve the customers. No matter the restaurant type, you need great culinary and business skills to make your dream come true.

If you plan to open a restaurant in Sweden, gain insight from consumer preferences and focus on serving modern consumers what they need.

How much you can make: $124,998 — $2,000,000/month

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

Starting A $1.5M Healthy Meals Delivery Business

One Life Meals is a Toronto-based healthy meal delivery service that made 14,500 meals per month and generated $130k in monthly sales in 2018 through their one-on-one consultation, lean protein and seasonal veggies-based meals, and their focus on the client experience.

Read by 22,343 founders

31. Start a bitcoin vending machine

A bitcoin vending machine allows customers to purchase bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

To Start a bitcoin vending machine you need to buy a bitcoin ATM and register the AML/KYC requirements with the BTM compliance. Then, you have to secure a steady bitcoin supply before deploying the machine to a secure location. Finally, you need to load service cash before launching the business.

The BTMs recoup costs through a margin for profit attached to any fees levied on the consumer. With the rate of fees and the overall popularity of Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency ATM is still a highly profitable venture.

32. Start a sports shop business

A retail sporting shop provides sports equipment such as balls, bats, gloves, sticks, rackets, clubs, and protective gear.

Entrepreneurs can set up a sports shop at a strip mall or sell their products online. Renting a shop at the strip mall will require a little money to pay the rent, but depending on the entrepreneurs’ approach, it could be more profitable.

How much you can make: $3,000 — $1,000,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $2,625 (?)

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

How We Invented A $2.5M/Year Four-Way Volleyball Net

CROSSNET, the world's first four-way volleyball game, went from $74,000 in revenue in 2018 to $2,250,000 in sales in just one year by attracting customers through social media, email marketing, and exclusive distribution agreements with retailers like Target.

Read by 12,353 founders

33. Start a perfume business

A fragrance or perfume business creates and sells products made from various ingredients, such as oils and extracts, which are mixed together to produce a pleasant smell.

And perfumes are no small business: the industry is expected to reach over $40B in the next few years.

There are a few ways to get started with creating your own perfume. You can start by choosing which ingredients you would like to use and then find recipes that will work for those ingredients. Or, you could start with a fragrance that you already love and try to recreate it as closely as possible with natural ingredients.

How much you can make: $19,000/month

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

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

How I Started A $19K/Month Personal And Home Fragrances Brand

Founder Rafael Hernandez launched Alfred Lane, a line of handcrafted personal and home fragrances, generating $19k in monthly revenue with 50% attributed to online and wholesale sales, while expanding to 65 stores across 6 countries and expanding to Europe and South America.

Read by 8,413 founders

34. Start a fashion accessories business

If you love fashion and clothing design, you may want to start a fashion accessories business. As a fashion accessories consultant, you help clients develop and adapt personal and professional styles.

Fashion accessories are decorative items that supplement one’s outfit. They include jewelry, gloves, belts, scarves, watches, sunglasses, bow ties, leggings, suspenders, and tights. To work as a professional stylist, collaborate with clients to understand their needs, and tailor styles and aesthetics to each individual’s preferences.

How much you can make: $150 — $190,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $2,800 (?)

How long does it take to build: 230 days (?)

Woodies Sunglasses: $3.5 Million Per Year With One Employee

Woodies, a wood sunglasses brand founded by Cory Stout, reached over $3.5M in revenue in 2018, despite starting with only $15K from a failed business and has succeeded through Amazon sales, spending $50K monthly on PPC and keeping ACOS at 30%.

Read by 22,857 founders

35. Start a car washing and detailing business

The carwash business is already a multi-billion-dollar industry with room for growth.

With the number of vehicles per household increasing daily, starting a car wash and detailing business could be a profitable idea.

If you have a piece of vacant land in the right location, you can get into the carwash business. You can set up an in-bay automatic carwash, self-washing carwash, touch-free carwash, or a wide range of other options.

How much you can make: $5,000/month

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

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

I Left Tech & Built My Own Car Detailing Business [My Hobby]

Learn how former tech salesman, Matt Paskow, left the industry to start Fresh Look Mobile Auto Detailing, a profitable mobile auto detailing business generating around $5k per month that focuses solely on SEO, Google AdWords, and Google My Business for marketing.

Read by 4,569 founders

36. Start a personal trainer marketplace

The Personal trainer marketplace is a marketplace of personal trainers and fitness instructors. The latest market trends indicate that the global personal training industry is growing at an exponential rate. With this, the demand for reliable and competent personal trainers and trainers-in-training is also rising.

The market size of the Personal Trainers industry in the United States is $13B in 2022. It increased faster than the Life Sciences sector overall.

How much you can make: $25,000 — $200,000/month

How long does it take to build: 45 days (?)

How We Launched A $25K/Month Interactive Live Streaming Group Fitness Workout Platfrom During The Pandemic

Sweat from Home is a two-way, interactive, and live-streaming group fitness workout startup that has held over 800 classes since March 2020, generates $25k in monthly recurring revenue, and has donated over $7k to 6 different charities; they aim to become the world's best live-streamed fitness class.

Read by 9,166 founders

37. Start an art business

Starting an art business can be a great idea if you have a passion for art.

You’ll be able to work on your schedule, set your prices, and do something you love—while supporting yourself or even making money!

There are so many different avenues available to you as an artist-entrepreneur right now—from selling your work online (on sites like Etsy), through galleries or museums, or even at craft fairs and flea markets.

How much you can make: $876 — $415,000/month

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

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

How I Turned My Hobby For Painting Into A Successful Art Business

Innerglow Art is a successful custom abstract painting business that incorporates scripture and personable connection with buyers to produce beautiful and unique artwork.

Read by 53,368 founders

38. Start a party rental business

A party rental business helps people get the products or the services they need to make their party a fun-filled event.

Party rental businesses can include:

  • Photo booth rental
  • Renting wedding clothes
  • Party boat rental
  • Sound equipment rental
  • Outdoor equipment rental
  • Cake structure rental

To start a party rental business, begin with what you know much better. Then as you gain experience, you may diversify to renting other party accessories or partner with experts in different fields.

How much you can make: $3,500 — $500,000/month

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

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

How I Started A $35K/Month Event Decor Business

Akshay Patel's event rental and decor business, Simply Decor, Tents, and Events, saw an average ticket price of $2,000, as their advertising budget decreased from $20k to $5k, leading to 40% of their clients coming through social media advertising, 30% from expos, and 30% online in google, yahoo, and other platforms.

Read by 17,922 founders

39. Start an organic food store

Organic food stores stock fresh or processed food produced through organic farming methods. Healthy food restaurants and health-conscious individuals are some target customers regarding healthy organic food.

If you plan to start an organic food store, focus on providing the customers freshest, organically grown produce. Starting an organic food store is a great way to make money while helping the environment. Organic food stores are becoming increasingly popular, especially with people who want to eat healthily but don't have time to cook. If you're looking for a business idea that will allow you to make money and help people simultaneously, starting an organic food store could be the perfect fit for you!

Organic food stores are so popular because they offer fresh produce that has not been treated with chemicals or pesticides, which means they're much safer than the produce found at your local grocery store.

How much you can make: $4,000 — $62,000/month

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

How Andrea Slinde Launched Her Own Organic Food Startup

Denver-based founder Andrea Slinde built her own organic food start-up, Golden Root, which sells trendy Turmeric Latte Mix online and now in 50 coffee shops nationwide, with an average monthly revenue of $4K, a long term objective of expanding into traditional grocery sales, and uses Shopify, Recharge, Mailchimp, Shipstation, and QuickBooks to manage e-commerce and finances.

Read by 6,419 founders

40. Develop an online survey tool

Online survey tools are a great way for businesses to gather customer feedback. They offer a convenient and cost-effective way to collect data from large groups of people. This service offers a variety of features, including a survey builder, a data collection tool, and a reporting system.

If you are interested in starting a business that helps businesses to gather customer feedback, then starting an online survey tool could be a great option for you. This business is growing in popularity as more businesses are using online surveys to collect data.

Typeform is a popular online survey tool that allows you to ask customers questions and get their feedback on the product. This can be used for many different purposes such as improving services or developing new products. Typeform told TechCrunch on the occasion of today’s funding announcement that its annual recurring revenue surpassed $70 million in 2021 after tripling over the preceding three years.

Building an online survey tool is a good business idea because there is a lot of demand for data collection. Businesses need to know more about their customers in order to be able to make better decisions.

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 12,017 founders

41. Start a vegan restaurant

The global vegan and vegetarian market is worth more than $50 Billion and will grow by approximately 30% over the coming years. The reason behind the increased popularity of vegan food is increased awareness of the importance of healthy eating habits. In that regard, starting a vegan restaurant can be a rewarding business.

To start, research the current market to identify a potential niche and a profitable business model. You may deliver healthy cooked food to commercial centers or offices or focus purely on walk-in customers.

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

How long does it take to build: 730 days (?)

The IBS Diagnosis That Led Me To A $30K/Month Fresh Plant-Based Food Restaurant

This case study follows the journey of Wen, the founder of House of Leaf & Bean, an organic restaurant and cafe, who left her corporate job due to her passion for healthy living and curing her Irritable Bowel Syndrome through lifestyle changes, and now serves fresh and organic meals to help patients reverse or improve their health conditions, with a goal to make healthy food and healthy living more affordable and accessible.

Read by 4,700 founders

42. Become a computer refurbisher

Computer refurbishing is the process of restoring used computers to working conditions. Refurbishers typically purchase used computers from individuals or businesses, and then they clean them up, install new parts, and test them to make sure they are in good working condition.

To start this business, you'll need skills in data recovery, hardware repair, and software troubleshooting. It is a perfect idea for those who have an interest in technology and a knack for repairing electronics.

The average Computer Repair Technician in the US makes $51,129. The salaries of Computer Repair Technicians range from $19,892 to $74,573, with a median salary of $55,440.

With the ever-growing popularity of laptops, tablets, and smartphones, there is a great demand for refurbished computers. And with data science and data analytics, you can easily identify which computers are in high demand and how to best refurbish them.

Starting this type of business is a great idea for those with an entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for technology. If you can navigate the regulations, this can be a lucrative business with a lot of growth potential.

How much you can make: $13,500,000/month

How long does it take to build: 45 days (?)

I Was Too Young To Drive But Started My Business Anyway: Now We're Approaching $200M/Year

OWC Larry, founder and CEO of Other World Computing, shares how he started his business at a young age with just a credit card, now experiencing a solid year-over-year growth with a CAGR of 43.78% over the past 33 years.

Read by 5,427 founders

43. Start a book store

Starting a bookstore is a great way to start a small business.

Bookstores are found anywhere, from the smallest towns to the largest cities. Perhaps you have thought of running your bookstore in Sweden. People need to read and buy books, and that’s been true for thousands of years. A bookstore is also a great central location where people can browse and purchase books.

Listed are the steps to start a bookstore business.

  • Register your business
  • Get all required permits and licenses.
  • Organize your business operational flow
  • Promote your business

How much you can make: $30,000 — $50,000/month

How long does it take to build: 212 days (?)

How I Started A Six-Figure Niche Book Blog

OrderOfBooks.com is a website that lists books in both publication and chronological order and generates six-figure revenue after starting off as a resource for the founder and his friends, serving as a valuable resource for book readers.

Read by 18,600 founders

44. Start a plumbing business

With hands-on knowledge in plumbing, you can start a business that focuses on diagnosing and repairing plumbing issues, installing fixtures, and maintaining plumbing systems.

As a plumber, your day-to-day activities will involve responding to service calls, troubleshooting plumbing problems, conducting installations or repairs, and providing guidance to clients on plumbing-related matters.

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

How much does it cost to start: $7,000 (?)

How long does it take to build: 365 days (?)

I Run A Family Plumbing Business That Makes $40K/Month

A second-generation family-owned plumbing and leak detection business shares their success in obtaining repeat business through word of mouth referrals, staying true to their core principles, and using cutting-edge technology to provide top-notch service to clients.

Read by 3,893 founders

45. Start a commercial real estate agent business

A commercial real estate agent business involves helping clients buy, sell, or lease properties for business purposes, such as offices, retail spaces, or industrial facilities.

As a commercial real estate agent, your main tasks include understanding the local market, identifying suitable properties, negotiating deals, and guiding clients through the transaction process.

Commercial real estate agency can be lucrative because commercial properties typically involve larger transactions and higher commissions compared to residential real estate, providing the opportunity for substantial earnings for successful agents.

How much you can make: $25,000/month

How long does it take to build: 365 days (?)

From Film to Real Estate: How I Run A $300K/Year Commercial Real Estate Business

Highline Real Estate Advisors is a startup commercial real estate brokerage firm making between $300,000 and $400,000 of revenue each year that uses new marketing techniques other brokers haven't adopted yet, and manages its business out of a private office suite with the founder taking home nearly 100% net income from his services.

Read by 3,169 founders

46. Start a grocery store

A grocery store sells a wide variety of food products, fresh or packaged, and other household & personal care items. The grocery store industry is the largest retail channel that makes $682 billion in the United States.

To start a basic grocery store, you can expect to spend a minimum of $50,000. Ideally, the bigger expense would be the rent, equipment, labor cost, cash registers/POS systems, and software. Some of these are recurring monthly fees. However, the location, size of the store, competitors, and local customers will significantly impact the business. A new grocer should sell more items for a lower price to make a more significant profit.

A new grocer can also save costs by buying the items from local distributors. The distributor is the middleman between the manufacturer and the grocery store selling it. Once the store cost and location are decided, the next step is to obtain a seller license. In most states, a grocer's license is required to run a grocery store.

Thus an average grocery store has a profit margin of 3% to 5%. The profit rates depend on the store's location, size, and popularity. On average, a small to medium grocery store can make a profit of up to $300,000 annually if all the profit factors are considered.

Another way to make your business more profitable is to diversify your store and add amenities like a coffee shop or stocking up the front of the store with magazines, batteries, etc., as these items can cross a margin of up to 70%. As a rule of thumb, offering lower prices on higher purchases will ultimately win more customers and increase profitability.

47. Start a youtube channel

For anyone looking to start a successful YouTube channel, there are plenty of YouTube channel success stories that can be used as inspiration and encouragement. In addition, YouTube has an established monetization system and boasts incredible popularity, making it a potential platform for revenue generation.

In this article, we'll look at different approaches you can use to help promote your channel and grow your viewers. While there's no quick and easy way to success, you can take these tips to build your own YouTube Channel Success story. If you love content creation, you can capitalize on YouTube's popularity to earn extra income.

If you want to join the Youtube partner program to monetize your channel, you will need to reach a minimum of 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the previous 12 months.

How much you can make: $800 — $1,000,000/month

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

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

Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week

How This Couple Makes $5K/Month Generating Content About Ways To Make Money Online

Learn how this entrepreneurial couple made $5-7k a month by helping others find legitimate work from home jobs and creative ways to make money online through their blog and YouTube channel, as well as offering two flagship products designed to help beginner freelancers and new bloggers accelerate growth.

Read by 14,508 founders

48. Become an artist

The artist is an individual who practices the skill, expression, and application of a craft; a person engaged in any art.

How much you can make: $876 — $160,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $6,762 (?)

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

How I Turned My Hobby For Painting Into A Successful Art Business

Innerglow Art is a successful custom abstract painting business that incorporates scripture and personable connection with buyers to produce beautiful and unique artwork.

Read by 53,368 founders

49. Start a hotels business

If you are considering starting a hotel, then it is time to implement your plan. There are five key elements to understand if you want to succeed in this industry: location, size, budget, experience, and market demand.

Here are some tips to consider before forming a hotel:

  • Name your business
  • Decide on a marketing strategy
  • Start by renting out a room in your home.
  • Hire a business capital broker
  • Try Airbnb
  • Make a marketing plan
  • Offer complementary services

How much you can make: $15,000 — $500,000/month

How long does it take to build: 325 days (?)

Starting A 5 Star Boutique Resort And Event Center Based On A Fiction Book Lore

Boyd Hollow Resorts is launching a 5-star boutique resort and event center based on a fiction book that will be the first of many Villages to be built around the world, with over 200 event inquiries received before launching.

Read by 7,701 founders

50. Start a transportation service

Transportation businesses offer ridesharing services, haul consumer goods, or ship supplies and products from one location to another. They target individual passengers, other companies, or global business partners.

If you are starting a transportation service in Sweden, decide who and what you will serve, set up the business structure, register the business, and apply for the required business licenses or permits. To ensure a profitable business, incorporate proper hiring procedures and keep up with maintenance and recertifications.

How much you can make: $6,000 — $1,080,000/month

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

How We Developed A $6K/Month Parcel Tracking Software While In College

Deepfinity, a proptech/logistics company, has developed an internal parcel tracking software tool that's helping large buildings cope with the influx of online shopping, and has been growing 20% MoM since making its first revenue 1.5 years ago, currently making $6K/Month.

Read by 8,487 founders

51. Start a soap business

Soap-making business is a growing industry that can be home-based or a small local business. Soap business is one of the most lucrative home-based businesses that perfect your decision to work in your free time while you earn good cash.

Starting a soap business sounds simple enough. You can buy supplies for probably less than $1,000. Popular skincare products are now being sold online, and this doesn’t seem like a challenging field to break into. Below are some success stories of the soap business that will inspire you.

How much you can make: $1,000 — $380,000/month

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

How long does it take to build: 365 days (?)

Leaving The Cubicle To Start A $23K/Month Soap Company

Outlaw Soaps, a soap company that started with just $13.72 of supplies, now makes an average of $23,000/month, with 46% of website orders from repeat customers who are loyal to the company's unique products and top-notch customer service.

Read by 25,243 founders

52. Start an e-book writing business

An eBook business is profitable and flexible, letting you start a business from anywhere, while it is a low-cost business that is easy to start. You can make a living self-publishing and selling eBooks online as long as you are ready to invest your time and money in it.

Anyone can start an eBooks business! Just choose a niche that interests the target audience, and ensure in-depth research.

How much you can make: $2,000 — $62,500/month

How much does it cost to start: $67 (?)

How long does it take to build: 120 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 6,196 founders

53. Start an email marketing business

Email marketing is a popular and effective way for businesses to reach their target audience and promote their products or services.

With the rise of the internet and the increasing use of email as a communication tool, starting an email marketing business can be a lucrative and rewarding venture.

An email marketing business involves creating and sending marketing emails to a list of subscribers. The emails can be newsletters, promotional messages, or other types of content designed to engage and convert the recipient into a customer. The business owner is responsible for building and maintaining the email list, creating the content, and sending the emails using specialized software.

To start an email marketing business, you must have a strong understanding of marketing principles and a good grasp of best practices. This includes creating compelling subject lines, segmenting your email list, and analyzing your campaigns’ results. You will also need to be proficient in email marketing software like Mailchimp or Constant Contact.

To run a successful email marketing business, you must clearly understand your target audience and what they are interested in. This will help you create relevant and engaging content that resonates with your subscribers and encourages them to take action. A solid call to action in your emails is crucial, whether it’s visiting your website, making a purchase, or signing up for a newsletter. Starting an email marketing business requires marketing skills, expertise, and a willingness to learn and improve continuously. The right strategies and tools can be a rewarding and successful way to reach your target audience and grow your business.

How much you can make: $120 — $20,833,333/month

How much does it cost to start: $1,250 (?)

How long does it take to build: 165 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 13,695 founders

meet the author
Pat Walls

I'm Pat Walls and I created Starter Story - a website dedicated to helping people start businesses. We interview entrepreneurs from around the world about how they started and grew their businesses.