Businesses You Can Start for Under $5,000 — page 14

Sociable, organized people who want a weekend, part-time-friendly event business and enjoy working a crowd at celebrations

Startup cost

$2,500 – $15,000

Monthly earnings

$1,000 – $7,000 / mo

First income

3 to 8 weeks

Patient, detail-obsessed people who like precise hands-on work and are willing to get licensed and build a recurring client base

Startup cost

$2,500 – $12,000

Monthly earnings

$1,000 – $7,000 / mo

First income

3 to 6 months

Design-minded people who love paper goods, can manage seasonal inventory, and want to build a recognizable physical brand

Startup cost

$2,500 – $25,000

Monthly earnings

$200 – $9,000 / mo

First income

2 to 4 months

Hands-on people who enjoy 12-volt electronics and don't mind tearing apart dashboards and door panels for hours

Startup cost

$2,500 – $25,000

Monthly earnings

$2,000 – $11,000 / mo

First income

2 to 6 weeks

Artistic, patient people with real planted-tank skill who can sell design as a craft, not just hardware

Startup cost

$2,500 – $20,000

Monthly earnings

$1,000 – $6,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

People with real risk capital, patience for a long ramp, and an analytical mind for product research, sourcing, and numbers

Startup cost

$3,000 – $15,000

Monthly earnings

$0 – $10,000 / mo

First income

3 to 6 months

Operators ready to build a multi-service, higher-ticket exterior company with crews and recurring commercial contracts, not just solo driveway jobs

Startup cost

$3,000 – $25,000

Monthly earnings

$4,000 – $20,000 / mo

First income

2 to 6 weeks

Detail-oriented people with real estate or operations experience who want recurring revenue and can handle legal compliance, tenants, and maintenance crises

Startup cost

$3,000 – $25,000

Monthly earnings

$1,500 – $12,000 / mo

First income

2 to 6 months

Patient people who can negotiate location deals, manage cash carefully, and want a semi-passive route business they grow one machine at a time

Startup cost

$3,000 – $25,000

Monthly earnings

$200 – $4,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

People who want a skilled hands-on service with strong margins and a real choice between a low-cost portable start and a higher-volume truck-mount path

Startup cost

$3,000 – $35,000

Monthly earnings

$2,000 – $11,000 / mo

First income

2 to 4 weeks

People with capital to risk who can sell, create content, and run paid ads patiently while learning a niche

Startup cost

$3,000 – $30,000

Monthly earnings

$0 – $15,000 / mo

First income

2 to 4 months

Licensed estheticians who enjoy hands-on skincare work and want to build a loyal, repeat clientele

Startup cost

$3,000 – $35,000

Monthly earnings

$2,000 – $9,000 / mo

First income

1 to 2 weeks after licensing

Hands-on people who can produce clean, fast, repeatable installs and are willing to do physically demanding work for strong per-square-foot pay

Startup cost

$3,000 – $20,000

Monthly earnings

$4,000 – $18,000 / mo

First income

2 to 6 weeks

Detail-oriented, trustworthy people who like hands-on technical work and being the calm help in a stressful moment

Startup cost

$3,000 – $20,000

Monthly earnings

$2,500 – $11,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

Experienced mechanics who want to escape shop overhead and work directly with customers at their location

Startup cost

$3,000 – $25,000

Monthly earnings

$3,000 – $12,000 / mo

First income

2 to 4 weeks

People willing to earn a state applicator license and build recurring quarterly contracts for stable, repeatable income

Startup cost

$3,000 – $25,000

Monthly earnings

$3,000 – $15,000 / mo

First income

2 to 6 months

People with strong marketing, creative curation, and the cash to fund inventory before subscribers pay them back

Startup cost

$3,000 – $40,000

Monthly earnings

$0 – $12,000 / mo

First income

2 to 4 months

Coffee-obsessed makers who enjoy a craft, like direct customer contact, and accept thin per-bag margins and freshness pressure

Startup cost

$3,000 – $50,000

Monthly earnings

$200 – $8,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

Hands-on people with vehicle and storage space who want a weekend-heavy local business and can handle physical setup and logistics

Startup cost

$3,000 – $50,000

Monthly earnings

$1,500 – $12,000 / mo

First income

2 to 6 weeks

Mechanically handy people who can tolerate night and weekend calls and want a mobile service with recurring motor-club volume

Startup cost

$3,000 – $20,000

Monthly earnings

$2,000 – $9,000 / mo

First income

2 to 6 weeks

Experienced web operators with capital who can value a site and stomach the risk of getting one wrong

Startup cost

$3,000 – $50,000

Monthly earnings

$0 – $12,000 / mo

First income

6 to 12 months

Skilled designers who understand both creative design and the unglamorous realities of patternmaking, production, inventory, and cash flow

Startup cost

$3,000 – $40,000

Monthly earnings

$0 – $6,000 / mo

First income

6 to 18 months

People who want a low-cost food business, enjoy being out in public, and can grind through permits and weather

Startup cost

$3,000 – $15,000

Monthly earnings

$1,500 – $7,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

Operators who want recurring, route-based revenue and are willing to earn the required pesticide applicator license and learn agronomy properly

Startup cost

$3,000 – $25,000

Monthly earnings

$2,500 – $12,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months