Businesses You Can Start for Under $5,000, page 9

Hobbyist fishkeepers who want recurring service income and enjoy detailed, hands-on routine work

Startup cost

$800 – $6,000

Monthly earnings

$1,200 – $9,000 / mo

First income

2 to 4 weeks

Skilled artists or teachers who enjoy people, can run a fun room, and want to earn from sharing a craft rather than selling their own art

Startup cost

$800 – $35,000

Monthly earnings

$1,200 – $9,000 / mo

First income

3 to 8 weeks

Rural and semi-rural people who enjoy daily animal care and want a modest, lifestyle-friendly side income

Startup cost

$800 – $8,000

Monthly earnings

$100 – $2,000 / mo

First income

2 to 6 months

People with engineering or product-design sense who can model real, manufacturable parts and want technical freelance work

Startup cost

$800 – $9,000

Monthly earnings

$1,500 – $10,000 / mo

First income

2 to 4 months

Licensed massage therapists who are personable and want flexible, daytime corporate and event work instead of a clinic

Startup cost

$800 – $5,000

Monthly earnings

$1,000 – $9,000 / mo

First income

2 to 6 weeks

Creative people who enjoy presentation and event work and want a low-cost food business they can start part-time around weekends

Startup cost

$800 – $8,000

Monthly earnings

$600 – $6,000 / mo

First income

2 to 6 weeks

Detail-oriented people who love baking, can sell a signature product, and want to start small from a home or cottage kitchen

Startup cost

$800 – $25,000

Monthly earnings

$800 – $7,000 / mo

First income

2 to 6 weeks

People with video editing, instructional design, or production skills who can turn a busy expert's knowledge into a polished, finished course

Startup cost

$800 – $6,000

Monthly earnings

$2,000 – $15,000 / mo

First income

1 to 2 months

Marketers who can run paid ads, PR, and launch hype and can stomach income that swings hard with each campaign's results

Startup cost

$800 – $6,000

Monthly earnings

$0 – $15,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

Skilled, detail-oriented decorators who enjoy creative custom work and can handle weekend deadlines and demanding clients

Startup cost

$800 – $8,000

Monthly earnings

$500 – $5,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

People who already enjoy building PCs and want to turn hardware knowledge and hands-on assembly into a local service

Startup cost

$800 – $6,000

Monthly earnings

$800 – $7,000 / mo

First income

2 to 4 weeks

People who are patient, calm under pressure, and genuinely enjoy coaching both dogs and their owners

Startup cost

$800 – $8,000

Monthly earnings

$1,200 – $9,000 / mo

First income

3 to 8 weeks

Visually obsessive people who love food, work fast under pressure, and can build relationships with photographers, agencies, and brands

Startup cost

$800 – $6,000

Monthly earnings

$1,000 – $8,000 / mo

First income

2 to 6 months

Practical people who are genuinely good with their hands, enjoy variety, and want a low-cost trade business they can scale into a crew

Startup cost

$800 – $8,000

Monthly earnings

$2,000 – $9,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 weeks

Creatively inclined, hands-on people who love the holidays and can earn most of a year's income in an intense two-to-three-month window

Startup cost

$800 – $8,000

Monthly earnings

$0 – $12,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

Technically capable people who can also talk to non-technical clients and want a path from break/fix work to recurring contract income

Startup cost

$800 – $8,000

Monthly earnings

$1,500 – $12,000 / mo

First income

2 to 6 weeks

Methodical, hands-on people who enjoy mastering a craft and building recurring commercial route accounts

Startup cost

$800 – $12,000

Monthly earnings

$800 – $7,000 / mo

First income

2 to 4 weeks

Detail-oriented people who can follow procedures precisely and resist the urge to give advice they are not licensed to give

Startup cost

$800 – $6,000

Monthly earnings

$1,500 – $9,000 / mo

First income

2 to 6 weeks

People with steady hands and patience who want a mobile, vehicle-based trade with low chip-repair startup costs and the option to grow into replacement

Startup cost

$800 – $12,000

Monthly earnings

$1,500 – $9,000 / mo

First income

2 to 4 weeks

Skilled painters who can scale up artwork, manage physical job sites, and sell ideas through proposals and renderings

Startup cost

$800 – $6,000

Monthly earnings

$0 – $8,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

Musically skilled people who enjoy the technical craft of recording and mixing and are willing to hustle for clients in a crowded market

Startup cost

$800 – $8,000

Monthly earnings

$500 – $7,000 / mo

First income

2 to 6 months

Outgoing, performance-comfortable people who love working with children and want flexible, weekend-heavy creative work with low startup cost

Startup cost

$800 – $8,000

Monthly earnings

$800 – $6,500 / mo

First income

2 to 4 weeks

People who genuinely enjoy coaching and motivating others, can build relationships, and want a flexible business they can run in-person and online

Startup cost

$800 – $6,000

Monthly earnings

$1,500 – $8,000 / mo

First income

1 to 3 months

Patient, organized, tech-comfortable people who like long-term projects and working closely with families on something personal

Startup cost

$800 – $8,000

Monthly earnings

$800 – $5,500 / mo

First income

3 to 8 weeks