Businesses You Can Start for Under $5,000 — page 13

Knowledgeable, patient buyers who enjoy the hunt, can spot value others miss, and can tolerate cash tied up in slow-moving inventory

Startup cost

$2,000 – $30,000

Monthly earnings

$300 – $6,000 / mo

First income

2 to 6 weeks

People with sales ability and real estate finance literacy who can tolerate irregular, deal-dependent income

Startup cost

$2,000 – $25,000

Monthly earnings

$0 – $7,000 / mo

First income

3 to 8 months

Reliable, detail-oriented drivers who want recurring B2B routes and can pass compliance and background checks

Startup cost

$2,000 – $12,000

Monthly earnings

$2,500 – $9,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

Tech-comfortable people who can test, grade, and lightly repair devices and have patience for sourcing and per-unit margin work

Startup cost

$2,000 – $30,000

Monthly earnings

$800 – $12,000 / mo

First income

2 to 6 weeks

Licensed cosmetologists who are good with people and want to build a loyal, repeat clientele either renting a chair or running their own space

Startup cost

$2,000 – $120,000

Monthly earnings

$2,500 – $15,000 / mo

First income

2 to 6 weeks

Media-minded operators who can build audiences and sell advertising, and can fund a long, uncertain growth period before ad revenue arrives

Startup cost

$2,000 – $25,000

Monthly earnings

$0 – $12,000 / mo

First income

6 to 18 months

Hard-working, resourceful people who like physical hauling work and are comfortable with income that rises and falls with commodity prices

Startup cost

$2,000 – $30,000

Monthly earnings

$1,500 – $10,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 weeks

People who love tea, can develop a real point of view, and are willing to do the slow work of building a brand and distribution

Startup cost

$2,000 – $25,000

Monthly earnings

$300 – $6,000 / mo

First income

2 to 4 months

Technically strong builders who can ship reliable LLM-powered systems and also win and keep business clients

Startup cost

$2,000 – $20,000

Monthly earnings

$2,000 – $25,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

Persistent B2B salespeople who want to build a recurring residual income from fleets and don't mind a long sales cycle

Startup cost

$2,000 – $20,000

Monthly earnings

$1,000 – $12,000 / mo

First income

2 to 4 months

Detail-oriented, handy people who like clean install work and selling a visible, high-want home upgrade

Startup cost

$2,000 – $15,000

Monthly earnings

$2,000 – $12,000 / mo

First income

2 to 6 weeks

Skilled makers who love fabrication across many materials and want project-based creative work with film, theater, events, and retail clients

Startup cost

$2,000 – $20,000

Monthly earnings

$0 – $8,000 / mo

First income

1 to 4 months

People-oriented photographers who like working with entrepreneurs and businesses and can sell ongoing content, not just a single shoot

Startup cost

$2,000 – $12,000

Monthly earnings

$800 – $7,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

Organized people-managers who can recruit and schedule reliable staff and keep clients and guests happy under pressure

Startup cost

$2,000 – $15,000

Monthly earnings

$2,000 – $12,000 / mo

First income

3 to 8 weeks

People comfortable with B2B sales and basic networking who want recurring per-seat revenue from business clients

Startup cost

$2,000 – $25,000

Monthly earnings

$1,000 – $12,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

Detail-oriented aquarium hobbyists who want to design and build custom tanks and earn recurring service income from homes and offices

Startup cost

$2,000 – $20,000

Monthly earnings

$1,500 – $9,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

IT-experienced people who want recurring monthly revenue and can be trusted with the moment a client's data is on the line

Startup cost

$2,000 – $20,000

Monthly earnings

$2,000 – $18,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

Relationship-driven salespeople with IT knowledge who can win business accounts and live comfortably on thin per-deal margins and volume

Startup cost

$2,000 – $30,000

Monthly earnings

$2,000 – $20,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

Patient, mechanically inclined people willing to spend months learning a genuine craft trade with little competition

Startup cost

$2,000 – $25,000

Monthly earnings

$1,500 – $7,000 / mo

First income

1 to 4 months

Organized, people-driven operators who can recruit reliable staff and juggle weekend logistics

Startup cost

$2,000 – $15,000

Monthly earnings

$1,500 – $14,000 / mo

First income

3 to 8 weeks

Detail-oriented people with healthcare, coding, or billing experience who want recurring revenue and can endure a long sales cycle

Startup cost

$2,000 – $15,000

Monthly earnings

$1,500 – $12,000 / mo

First income

3 to 6 months

People who enjoy teaching kids and can build relationships with schools, running after-school classes and camps without needing deep engineering credentials

Startup cost

$2,000 – $60,000

Monthly earnings

$1,500 – $16,000 / mo

First income

2 to 5 months

Tech-minded, detail-oriented people who enjoy flying, can pass the FAA Part 107 exam, and want to combine creative or technical work with field jobs

Startup cost

$2,500 – $15,000

Monthly earnings

$1,000 – $9,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

Hands-on people who are comfortable bidding B2B and want a niche trade with high per-job tickets

Startup cost

$2,500 – $15,000

Monthly earnings

$2,000 – $12,000 / mo

First income

3 to 8 weeks