Businesses You Can Start for Under $25,000 — page 21

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

Strong cooks who enjoy live, on-site events and weekend work and want a premium per-event catering niche

Startup cost

$15,000 – $75,000

Monthly earnings

$1,500 – $12,000 / mo

First income

2 to 4 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

Detail-oriented people with AEC, surveying, or technical backgrounds who want field work plus computer processing and can invest in capital equipment

Startup cost

$15,000 – $120,000

Monthly earnings

$0 – $18,000 / mo

First income

2 to 5 months

Patient investors who want low-effort recurring income from a hard asset and can do careful land due diligence

Startup cost

$15,000 – $300,000

Monthly earnings

$200 – $6,000 / mo

First income

3 to 9 months

Experienced welders and fabricators who can design, build, and install structural and decorative metalwork to code

Startup cost

$15,000 – $90,000

Monthly earnings

$4,000 – $20,000 / mo

First income

2 to 4 months

Experienced builders or contractors who can manage multiple trades and want high-ticket, single-focus remodeling projects

Startup cost

$15,000 – $80,000

Monthly earnings

$6,000 – $35,000 / mo

First income

2 to 5 months

Licensed occupational therapists who want clinical autonomy and a higher income ceiling than employment, and who can handle billing and the slow credentialing process

Startup cost

$15,000 – $120,000

Monthly earnings

$3,000 – $20,000 / mo

First income

4 to 9 months

Audio-savvy creatives with a network of musicians, podcasters, or content creators who can keep the room booked

Startup cost

$15,000 – $150,000

Monthly earnings

$1,500 – $12,000 / mo

First income

2 to 5 months

Experienced auto technicians who want to own a focused, high-volume shop built around a safety-critical, repeat service

Startup cost

$15,000 – $120,000

Monthly earnings

$4,000 – $18,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

Experienced equipment operators with capital or strong financing who can run a high-cost, asset-heavy business and sell to landowners and contractors

Startup cost

$15,000 – $250,000

Monthly earnings

$6,000 – $35,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

Skilled groomers ready to commit to a lease and fixed location, or owners who can hire and retain grooming talent

Startup cost

$15,000 – $120,000

Monthly earnings

$2,500 – $15,000 / mo

First income

2 to 5 months

Experienced diesel technicians who want to own their work and serve fleets, owner-operators, and heavy-duty trucks

Startup cost

$15,000 – $120,000

Monthly earnings

$6,000 – $30,000 / mo

First income

2 to 4 months

Experienced teachers or managers who want to build a multi-teacher studio with a real location, not just teach solo

Startup cost

$15,000 – $90,000

Monthly earnings

$3,000 – $18,000 / mo

First income

2 to 5 months

Operators who want to run a staffed learning center as a manager and marketer rather than do all the tutoring themselves

Startup cost

$15,000 – $150,000

Monthly earnings

$2,000 – $20,000 / mo

First income

4 to 9 months

People who can pick a high-traffic location, run tight inventory on perishables, and handle the operational grind of a small food business

Startup cost

$18,000 – $250,000

Monthly earnings

$2,000 – $18,000 / mo

First income

3 to 9 months

Hands-on, mechanically inclined operators with capital who can buy the right inventory, keep it running, and chase high utilization

Startup cost

$20,000 – $200,000

Monthly earnings

$0 – $12,000 / mo

First income

2 to 6 months

Experienced waterfront-area builders who can handle permits, heavy equipment, and high-ticket marine construction

Startup cost

$20,000 – $120,000

Monthly earnings

$6,000 – $30,000 / mo

First income

2 to 5 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

People with strong floral and design skill plus the stomach for retail hours, perishable inventory, and tight margins

Startup cost

$20,000 – $120,000

Monthly earnings

$2,000 – $9,000 / mo

First income

2 to 5 months

Outgoing people who like running events for kids and can handle a big upfront equipment investment and weekend-heavy bookings

Startup cost

$20,000 – $120,000

Monthly earnings

$1,500 – $8,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

Experienced instructors with real rank and teaching ability who also want to run a member-retention and sales business

Startup cost

$20,000 – $120,000

Monthly earnings

$2,500 – $16,000 / mo

First income

1 to 4 months

Hands-on people comfortable with welding and fabrication who want a focused automotive niche with strong repeat and custom demand

Startup cost

$20,000 – $90,000

Monthly earnings

$6,000 – $22,000 / mo

First income

2 to 4 months

People with some capital who are comfortable with logistics, equipment, and steady operational grind rather than fast cash

Startup cost

$25,000 – $120,000

Monthly earnings

$2,000 – $18,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months