Businesses You Can Start for Under $5,000 — page 11

Skilled hangers and finishers who want to subcontract to builders and remodelers and don't mind hard physical work

Startup cost

$1,500 – $20,000

Monthly earnings

$3,000 – $15,000 / mo

First income

2 to 8 weeks

Sociable, organized people who enjoy events, weekend work, and serving alcohol responsibly for weddings and parties

Startup cost

$1,500 – $15,000

Monthly earnings

$800 – $9,000 / mo

First income

3 to 8 weeks

Patient, detail-oriented people who enjoy precise hands-on repair work and can build local trust faster than carriers and big chains

Startup cost

$1,500 – $25,000

Monthly earnings

$1,500 – $9,000 / mo

First income

2 to 6 weeks

Experienced storage and electronics specialists who can invest in specialized tools and tolerate high-stakes, irreplaceable-data work

Startup cost

$1,500 – $40,000

Monthly earnings

$1,500 – $12,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

Visually skilled people who are also organized, client-facing, and comfortable managing budgets, timelines, and contractors

Startup cost

$1,500 – $15,000

Monthly earnings

$1,500 – $12,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

Skilled, patient makers who enjoy hands-on craft and are realistic about the per-piece time and production ceiling of handmade work

Startup cost

$1,500 – $15,000

Monthly earnings

$300 – $4,500 / mo

First income

2 to 4 months

People comfortable with chemical safety and B2B/government sales who want recurring contract revenue rather than one-off residential jobs

Startup cost

$1,500 – $15,000

Monthly earnings

$2,000 – $11,000 / mo

First income

3 to 8 weeks

Plant-savvy people who enjoy hands-on care and selling, and can absorb losses when living inventory dies or ships poorly

Startup cost

$1,500 – $20,000

Monthly earnings

$300 – $6,000 / mo

First income

2 to 6 weeks

Detail-oriented creatives who like controlled studio work and want recurring commercial clients rather than events

Startup cost

$1,500 – $15,000

Monthly earnings

$1,000 – $9,000 / mo

First income

2 to 6 weeks

Hands-on people with a design eye who like making physical products and working with local business owners

Startup cost

$1,500 – $15,000

Monthly earnings

$1,000 – $8,000 / mo

First income

3 to 8 weeks

Hands-on people who like diagnostic problem-solving and want recurring seasonal service revenue rather than one-off jobs

Startup cost

$1,500 – $15,000

Monthly earnings

$2,500 – $12,000 / mo

First income

3 to 6 weeks

Detail-oriented people who like hands-on outdoor work, live near water, and want higher per-job tickets than car detailing

Startup cost

$1,500 – $9,000

Monthly earnings

$2,000 – $12,000 / mo

First income

2 to 4 weeks

Reliable, calm animal lovers who like driving and can earn the trust of nervous pet owners

Startup cost

$1,500 – $25,000

Monthly earnings

$1,200 – $9,000 / mo

First income

2 to 6 weeks

Experienced engineers or architects who already know cloud platforms deeply and can sell their expertise to businesses

Startup cost

$1,500 – $15,000

Monthly earnings

$6,000 – $30,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

Creative makers who can design a clear, repeatable project and enjoy sourcing, assembly, and marketing a tangible product

Startup cost

$1,500 – $18,000

Monthly earnings

$200 – $7,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

People who shoot confidently under pressure, enjoy working a room, and want fast-turnaround paid work without the all-day intensity of weddings

Startup cost

$1,500 – $9,000

Monthly earnings

$800 – $7,000 / mo

First income

1 to 2 months

Photographers with an eye for styling and detail who enjoy slow, controlled studio-style work and want commercial clients

Startup cost

$1,500 – $12,000

Monthly earnings

$1,000 – $8,000 / mo

First income

2 to 4 months

People skilled at building trust and rapport who want to help clients with habits, stress, and performance within a clearly non-clinical scope

Startup cost

$1,500 – $12,000

Monthly earnings

$500 – $7,000 / mo

First income

2 to 5 months

Hands-on resellers who enjoy sorting, testing, and listing, can stomach buying sight-unseen, and have space and patience for a slow cash cycle

Startup cost

$1,500 – $20,000

Monthly earnings

$600 – $9,000 / mo

First income

2 to 6 weeks

Creative people skilled at makeup who can market themselves and don't mind weekend, seasonal, and early-morning bridal work

Startup cost

$1,500 – $8,000

Monthly earnings

$500 – $6,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

Patient, empathetic, highly organized people who can guide older adults and families through an emotional, logistics-heavy transition

Startup cost

$1,500 – $12,000

Monthly earnings

$2,000 – $10,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

Talented cooks and natural hosts who can sell an experience and build a reputation, not just plate food

Startup cost

$1,500 – $20,000

Monthly earnings

$500 – $6,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

Outgoing people who love music, can read a crowd, and are comfortable being the host of a room

Startup cost

$1,500 – $8,000

Monthly earnings

$600 – $6,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

Detail-oriented, personable people who can handle background-check sensitivity, build B2B volume accounts, and navigate state and channeler enrollment paperwork

Startup cost

$1,500 – $25,000

Monthly earnings

$800 – $9,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months