Businesses You Can Run From Home — page 15

Disciplined people comfortable with direct-sales marketing, real estate due diligence, and irregular, deal-based income

Startup cost

$10,000 – $60,000

Monthly earnings

$0 – $8,000 / mo

First income

3 to 6 months

People wanting an accessible, low-down-payment entry into real estate who are willing to live alongside tenants to build long-term wealth

Startup cost

$10,000 – $60,000

Monthly earnings

$400 – $2,500 / mo

First income

2 to 6 months

Hands-on people comfortable blending welding, electrical, low-voltage, and electronics troubleshooting

Startup cost

$10,000 – $60,000

Monthly earnings

$4,000 – $20,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

People who understand consumer packaged goods, distribution, and razor-thin beverage margins — not hobbyists who just have a great recipe

Startup cost

$12,000 – $150,000

Monthly earnings

$0 – $8,000 / mo

First income

4 to 9 months

Experienced engineers or educators who can teach, sell, and stay accountable for student outcomes over many months

Startup cost

$15,000 – $150,000

Monthly earnings

$0 – $40,000 / mo

First income

4 to 9 months

Experienced, broker-licensed agents who can recruit and retain producing agents and run a compliant, leveraged business

Startup cost

$15,000 – $150,000

Monthly earnings

$0 – $30,000 / mo

First income

6 to 18 months

Product-minded creatives with capital who can navigate strict safety compliance and are patient through a long, seasonal product cycle

Startup cost

$20,000 – $150,000

Monthly earnings

$0 – $18,000 / mo

First income

6 to 12 months

Technically capable founders with patient capital who want to design and sell a physical electronics product and can stomach long timelines and high failure rates

Startup cost

$25,000 – $500,000

Monthly earnings

$0 – $25,000 / mo

First income

12 to 24 months

Capital-backed investors with strong real-estate, legal, and financial judgment who can stomach illiquid, lumpy returns

Startup cost

$25,000 – $150,000

Monthly earnings

$0 – $12,000 / mo

First income

3 to 12 months

Experienced operators with a real estate track record, capital, and a network of investors who can raise and steward other people's money

Startup cost

$50,000 – $250,000

Monthly earnings

$0 – $40,000 / mo

First income

9 to 24 months

People with strong credit, real cash reserves, and the patience to treat a short-term rental as a long-term illiquid investment, not a quick income play

Startup cost

$60,000 – $250,000

Monthly earnings

$0 – $6,000 / mo

First income

2 to 5 months

People with significant capital, strong underwriting judgment, and the stomach to enforce a loan and foreclose if a borrower defaults

Startup cost

$75,000 – $500,000

Monthly earnings

$500 – $15,000 / mo

First income

1 to 4 months

Capitalized, patient investors who treat it as an operating business and can handle infrastructure and tenant problems

Startup cost

$100,000 – $1,000,000

Monthly earnings

$0 – $30,000 / mo

First income

6 to 18 months