Before diving into these expert interviews, it is essential to establish a clear roadmap for your financial journey. Understanding how to start earning money effectively requires more than just picking a side hustle; it demands a shift in mindset toward identifying high-value problems and creating scalable solutions that align with your unique skills. By focusing on sustainable growth strategies rather than quick fixes, you can lay a solid foundation for long-term income generation that serves your broader business objectives.
As you explore the insights shared in the upcoming conversations, pay close attention to how each entrepreneur approached their initial pivot into profitability. Whether you are leveraging digital assets or refining a service-based model, learning how to start earning money often comes down to mastering the balance between market demand and your personal expertise. These interviews are designed to help you bridge that gap, providing actionable advice to help you transition from the planning phase to consistent, reliable revenue.
1. Josh Kent
Company: SunFrog Shirts
Website: https://www.sunfrog.com/
“If you want a genuinely low-risk way to start an online business, printing and selling shirts through a print-on-demand model is one of the most accessible options out there. Instead of ordering a few hundred shirts upfront and hoping they sell, you upload a design, list it, and the shirt only gets printed and shipped after someone buys it.
The platform handles the production and fulfillment side; your job is the design and finding the right audience for it. That flips the traditional apparel business on its head, because your risk is essentially zero and your real work is creative and marketing-driven. The biggest mistake I see is people designing for ‘everyone.’ The earners almost always go narrow, designing for a specific niche, hobby, profession, or community that feels personally seen by the shirt.
A design that nails one passionate audience will outperform a generic slogan aimed at the masses nearly every time. For readers who want to try it, a print-on-demand platform like SunFrog lets you go from idea to a live, sellable product quickly, with the printing, shipping, and customer fulfillment taken care of so you can focus on what sells: the design and the niche.”
2. Alfred Pintor
Company: Copper Collar Services LLC
Website: CopperCollarServices.com
“I’m the founder of Copper Collar Services LLC, a veteran-owned sanitation and disaster response company servicing Southern California. I started a business providing solutions to problems people can’t avoid. When building a company out of one trailer, I realized that a lot of income opportunities are hidden in mundane service gaps instead of the saturated online space.
Too many entrepreneurs look for the next trend. Reliable demand is hidden in plain sight. One of the easiest ways to earn money these days is by becoming a coordinator rather than the actual service. Small businesses are constantly seeking reliable cleaners, handymen, mobile mechanics, junk haulers, and event staffing. You can begin earning by matchmaking customers and qualified providers for a fee or percentage of the job.
Websites like Thumbtack and Taskrabbit are great tools to validate demand in your city before spending thousands of dollars. Coordination businesses typically value organization over skill. I believe offline businesses are overlooked because far too many people focus all of their time on making money online. There will always be demand for manual services because of population/inflation, new construction, aging foundations, and busy families.
Websites like Nextdoor and Facebook Marketplace can teach you consistent problems in your area that bigger businesses don’t solve. Large companies often don’t realize these problems exist. Home service businesses can start with just a phone, some scheduling software, and validating dreams with customer anger. Steady demand is more important than a sexy business idea.”
3. Scott Flores
Company: Empire PLS
Website: https://www.empirepls.com/
There is one opportunity that I believe is vastly underserved: becoming a facility condition photographer and documentation specialist for commercial property owners! While many assume every property is going to need work done, the reality is that many owners simply need documentation. Equipped with a smartphone, drone license (where needed), and a simple report template anyone can photograph parking lots, sidewalks, warehouse floors, roofs, fencing, striping, and exterior assets.
Property managers can have anywhere from 10-20-50 properties under management. They will pay $150-300 for a well put together set of photos that allows them to see their properties and spend less time visiting sites while efficiently allocating future budgets. The best part of this business model is the ability to generate side income during the weekend and transform it into monthly recurring work. There are many websites I can think of to help individuals create these type of income streams.
Upwork is a freelance marketplace website where independent contractors can list their services for inspection reporting, property documentation, administrative services etc. Fiverr is another website that could be utilized to offer photo documentation “packages” and report preparation. If you prefer to conduct your own outreach I would spend time researching commercial property management companies.
A simple portfolio of 20 well put together property pictures is much more valuable than drafting up a complex business plan. The moral of the story is simple. Look for business opportunities that capture information, organize it, and distribute it in a manner that saves someone else time.”
4. Lo Choe
Company: Aura Fire Safety
Website: aurafiresafety.com
“I’m an entrepreneur and the Owner of Aura Fire Safety from the San Francisco Bay Area. The quickest way to make money often isn’t on the latest platform. I feel like recurring legal/regulatory updates, recurring maintenance tasks and recurring recordkeeping are undervalued industries. Those are areas where small operators can build a sustainable income.
I live in a pretty niche industry but have seen guys try to create blogs or youtube channels for months. Meanwhile I watched others develop inspection tracking software, permitting concierge services or regulatory compliance services and become profitable with just a computer, smartphone and handful of clients.
I’d like to offer a couple thoughts on this topic, if you’ll indulge me. Become a middleman: Providing repeat services to businesses is a strategy that gets surprisingly little love. Business owners are bogged down with proposals, booking appointments, following up on invoices and communicating with clients.
Websites like Upwork, Fiverr and Contra provide opportunities to pick up that load. If you can save a small business owner 5 hours of their time each week, you might be worth a lot more than someone fighting off competition from thousands of other creators for ad money. Package your niche knowledge: Sites like Gumroad, Podia and Kajabi let folks sell templates, checklists, operating guidelines and training.
Maybe a contractor develops permit tracking templates they can sell. Perhaps a property manager creates inspection logs. A consultant could create onboarding process guides. A single $49 digital product could earn you money years after you’ve spent your initial time investment.”
5. Oliver Downie
Company: House Of Hardwood
Website: https://houseofhardwood.com/
“I think for this type of industry it is important that people know your business. I believe that when customers are familiar with your work, it’s most likely that you’ll earn money. One opportunity for your business to be known is through online promotion. I believe you really need to market your skills and your craftsmanship.
Digital marketing helps us reach these customers online. At House of Hardwood, we’ve observed that engagement in the business is more constant. People are now asking for our expertise in customizing home projects and services online because of this, the company has gradually built a reputation for itself.
Also, one way you can earn money is through your expertise. You can make money out of your experience in woodworking and repairs by sharing your skills through online blogs, tutorials, and guides. By sharing your educational content, you can earn money, especially since most customers opt for this type of content to save time and money. Actually, it really depends on your niche.
You can harness your skills and turn them into income through different websites. Each website offers different services and purposes. I recommend the following online website: Etsy & Facebook for selling handmade products; Shopify for creating your own business online store; Upwork & Fiverr for freelance writing, programming, or even video editing; YouTube for educational and entertainment contents. One piece of advice I could give for earning money is to always ensure that you are addressing a problem. It is important that your skills and experience help solve issues.”
6. Mushfiq Sarker
Company: WebAcquisition
Website: https://webacquisition.com/advisor/mushfiqur/
“Buying an existing business generating $500 to $5,000 monthly beats starting from zero, and most people building income online completely miss this angle. As founder of WebAcquisition, I’ve acquired and exited over 220 businesses since 2008, starting with a lead generation site I sold to Slashdot Media.
Here’s what actually holds up:
1. Lead generation remains the most durable online income model. Businesses will always pay for qualified customers, and the margins beat almost everything else at scale.
2. Micro-acquisitions between $10K and $50K produce faster cash flow than bootstrap startups because you inherit revenue immediately. You skip the 12-18 months of building from scratch.
3. Content sites and niche blogs with existing traffic generate steady affiliate and ad revenue. The key is buying undervalued assets others overlook, not building new ones.
4. Local service arbitrage, cleaning, bookkeeping, handyman scales from solo to agency faster than most digital models when founders actually focus on marketing. Most people never look at this option. That’s the edge.”
7. Steven Lazaroff
Company: Geneohub
Website: https://Geneohub.com
“My name is Steven Lazaroff and I am the founder of Geneohub.com. We connect people looking for genealogical information in order to claim Canadian Citizenship. There are an estimated 20,000 to 1.5 million ‘lost Canadians’ that are eligible for Canadian Citizenship if they can prove descent to a Canadian ancestor.
Geneohub.com is a marketplace similar to Upwork or Fiverr, but geared for those who have a Canadian in their ancestry and want to prove it. Geneohub allows genealogists of all levels to sign up, create a profile and get to work researching people’s family trees using both paid and free database search tools.
A good genealogist can crack a case in typically 24-48 hours if they get good with all the genealogical tools out there. Geneohub.com has a resource library to get people started. This is gig work, it’s contract based, it has flexible hours and you can do it from anywhere in the world.”
8. Sherif Koussa
Company: Software Secured
Website: https://www.softwaresecured.com/
“An underrated business model is becoming a specialized fixer for digital friction that quietly kills sales. Security and engineering experience shows that many companies lose money through abandoned forms, confusing consent language, broken account recovery, or risky customer journeys that make people hesitate.
I have seen small improvements in trust signals and workflow design create measurable revenue without a big marketing budget. Platforms like UserTesting, Maze, and Hotjar help identify where customers drop off. Upwork and Contra can help package this into a paid conversion review service for startups and local businesses.
Website owners on Shopify and Webflow communities are especially open to this kind of help. Offline, service businesses also need cleaner booking, payment, and intake experiences that feel safe and credible.”
9. Jason Hennessey
Company: Hennessey Digital
Website: https://hennessey.com/
“One underappreciated route is process licensing. Instead of selling a product, people can sell a repeatable workflow that saves time for a specific type of business. Think onboarding systems, follow-up scripts, pricing calculators, compliance checklists, or client reporting templates.
These can be sold on Gumroad, Etsy, Creative Market, or through a simple personal site. We find this works best when the process solves an expensive bottleneck and is easy to implement without training.
Another useful path is becoming a specialist broker for digital services on marketplaces like Toptal, MarketerHire, and PeoplePerHour. Matching the right provider to the right client can generate steady income without needing a large audience or major startup capital.”
10. Udemezue John
Company: Maildrip
Website: https://maildrip.io/
“I’m John Udemezue, CTO at Maildrip, and from what I see daily, the simplest money-making paths are often the ones people ignore. Right now, selling digital products on Gumroad is one of the fastest ways to start. You don’t need inventory.
A friend of mine sells Notion templates for content planners and makes steady side income every month. If you’re more hands-on, sign up on Upwork and offer a clear, specific skill like email copywriting or social media management—clients are always looking for help. Another quiet winner is hosting a paid newsletter on Substack. You can start free, build a list, then charge a few dollars a month for deep insights in your niche.
These platforms are free to join and give you a direct line to buyers or clients immediately. One thing I always stress: no matter which platform you choose, you need a way to follow up with people automatically. I built my business around that belief. At Maildrip we help creators set up simple email sequences that turn a visitor into a paying customer while they sleep. It’s the piece that connects all these side hustles into something that feels like a real business.”
11. Cameron Figgins
Company: Absolute Maintenance and Consulting
Website: https://absolutemaintenanceconsulting.com
“The safest method to find an alternate source of revenue is to identify existing problems individuals already pay to have solved rather than a trend promising easy money. Repair, cleaning, organization, inspection assistance, documentation, delivery, administrative assistance, and general home services typically outdo exciting ideas since there is an established need in daily life.
A potential opportunity includes clear pricing, minimal initial expense to start, regular repeat customers and evidence by way of photographs, writings, or completed product. Numerous people pass on the most important test. Before purchasing equipment or creating a brand name, provide a single and limited service to a small group of nearby individuals to determine if strangers will pay for your effort.
Make sure the offer is basic; clearly define the items included as well as all things that require licensing, insurance, or some form of specialized training prior to being adequately insured. True side income is based upon trust not hype. The best option will always be the one in which you can establish consistent presence and complete a recognizable solution with some type of records that provides protection for the customer.”
12. Paarath Sharma
Company: Pixis
Website: https://pixis.ai
“I am an SEO Specialist at Pixis (pixis.ai), so my angle is on income paths that use content and digital marketing skills, which are some of the most accessible ways to start earning today. A few practical routes:
1. Freelance content and SEO services. Businesses constantly need blog posts, landing pages, and search optimization. You can start on marketplaces like Upwork and Fiverr and build a client base over time.
2. Niche content sites and affiliate marketing. Build a focused website around a topic you know, grow search traffic, and earn through affiliate programs such as Amazon Associates or partner programs in your niche.
3. Selling digital products. Templates, courses, and ebooks on platforms like Gumroad or Teachable let you package knowledge once and sell it repeatedly.
4. Newsletter and audience building. Tools like Substack and Beehiiv let writers earn through paid subscriptions and sponsorships.”
13. Nikita Khandheria
Company: ERIA
Website: https://www.eriaevents.co/
“One of the most overlooked ways to make money today is event planning. Most people think you need a venue, a large team, or years of experience to get started, but that’s simply not true. At its core, event planning is project management, relationship building, creativity, and organization. Those are skills anyone can begin developing immediately.
At ERIA, we regularly work with freelance event coordinators and planners who started by helping friends organize birthday parties, networking events, fundraisers, or small corporate gatherings. Many of them built portfolios before they ever had formal clients. Once you’ve successfully managed a few events and can show photos, testimonials, and results, opportunities begin to compound quickly. What makes event planning particularly attractive is that it can be done from almost anywhere.
You don’t need inventory, a warehouse, or a large upfront investment. You need a laptop, strong communication skills, and the ability to solve problems under pressure. It’s also a skill that transfers across industries, from weddings and corporate events to conferences, retreats, and private celebrations.
For those looking to get started, I would recommend creating a simple website, building a portfolio of even small events, and networking within your local community. Platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, Eventbrite, and HoneyBook can help you find clients and establish credibility. The best part is that once you’ve built a reputation for delivering memorable experiences, referrals often become your strongest source of growth.”
14. Dillon Jonker
Company: Alarcon Pro
Website: https://alarconpro.com
“Digital side hustles are getting a lot of hype these days but there is no amount of money that can match the paycheck of a trade. I started my painting business with almost no money and grew it by referral.
Many skilled tradesmen out there who are completely unreliable. I can get work if I can paint, fix a basic repair, clean or even detail cars. You can start earning that weekend. To get that first job, sign up for Thumbtack, Angi, etc. and get a free Google Business Profile. My local leads came from that profile.
I have also gotten work from Facebook Marketplace. The biggest barrier to starting a business is showing up, doing a great job and having people to refer you to for future work. You don’t need money or a fancy platform to start a business.”
15. Roland Jakob
Company: Praxica
Website: https://praxica.io
The best ‘side-hustle is helping small business owners implement their existing subscriptions of Chat GPT or Claudes’ — and help them find ways to turn those subscriptions into workflows they can use as teams that do not break the system.
What I have found when I created my own AI Operations Company is that there has been an overwhelming need by customers for someone to take the many existing AI tools that currently exist and create a system that allows non-technical teams to operate without breaking the system. Anybody with some type of process thinking ability and a will to learn one of the three automated platforms (n8n, Make or Zapier), can build an opportunity to offer this same service and scale it quickly from freelance work into a retainer based micro agency.
As far as your directory goes, I would tell the reader to look at the following options if you want to go down any of these paths: Freelance/Service Income: Upwork, Contra, and Fiverr Pro. No Code Product Building: Bubble, Web Flow and Softr. Digital Products No Inventory: Gum Road and Lemon Squeezy. Sub Stack and Bee Hivi. Offline and Local Income: Task Rabbit, Thumb Tack and Rover.”
16. Alan Heimlich
Company: Heimlich Law, PC
Website: https://heimlichlaw.com
“Many side income ideas aren’t necessarily new inventions, but rather small commercial wrappers around skills, files, or relationships that people already have. If someone wants to test out their product using social media posts or messages before investing in a full store, they could use Shopify Starter.
Etsy is still great for selling handmade items, digital files, and niche designs, but sellers need to look carefully at the pricing structure. For selling packaged services, Upwork is much better than offering vague hourly help. A person can create a narrow deliverable, such as cleaning up a patent drawing, technical writing, repairing spreadsheets, or creating product documentation.
If someone has repeatable information, they can easily create a paid course, coaching, downloadable materials, or membership based on their area of expertise using Teachable. To avoid significant losses at start-up, the best way to develop side income initially is to have little or no inventory risk, with a well-documented record of ownership of the content, brand, and customer base.”
17. Ana Li
Company: Linq Kitchen
Website: https://linqkitchen.com
“Unbabel is a language Operations platform that combines AI translation with a global community of human editors. Sign up as an editor, take a language proficiency test, and proofread short machine-translated texts. Earn money by building an exhaustive professional profile that lists your language pairs and technical subject niches, such as legal, medical, or software engineering.
ProZ.com is the world’s largest directory and community network for professional translators and interpreters. Utilize their ‘Blue Board’ database to look up safety and payment reputation histories of global translation agencies. List your owned video or photography equipment with custom daily or weekly pricing structures using ShareGrid.com.
Neighbor.com is a peer-to-peer storage marketplace that allows property owners to monetize unused space in their homes or commercial buildings. You earn money by listing empty basements, unutilized garages, vacant driveways, or spare closets as secure storage facilities.”
18. Deepak Shukla
Company: Pearl Lemon
Website: https://pearllemon.com/
“One of the less explored ways of making money online is offering knowledge rather than goods. It has become cheaper to create content thanks to AI, but companies will still pay for results. I have witnessed individuals make successful businesses from offering specialist consultancy, lead generation, SEO, and AI. It only takes platforms such as Upwork, Contra, LinkedIn, or niche online groups to acquire your first customers if you offer solutions for an issue.”
19. Burkan Bur
Company: The AD Firm
Website: https://theadfirm.net
“Currently, the best side-income-generating ideas involve making small, valuable offers with clearly defined outcomes. Examples include: local business audit packages priced anywhere from $150 to $500; niche templates ranging from $9 to $49; paid newsletters; short e-courses; mobile car cleaning; tutoring; résumé assistance; and productized consulting sessions.
Surprisingly, users will pay for convenience, speed and clear instructions. Among other platforms, you’d want to consider Upwork, Fiverr, Contra, LinkedIn Services, Etsy, Gumroad, Shopify Starter, Substack, Beehiiv, Teachable, Udemy, Revlon/Medium, YouTube Partner Program, Patreon and Ko-Fi. For offline/location-based opportunities or resume-building events, check TaskRabbit, Thumbtack, Rover, Neighbor, Turo and Eventbrite. Your safest bet is to choose one offer at a single price point and put in an honest effort for 30 days.”
20. Nick Heimlich
Company: Nick Heimlich Law
Website: https://nickheimlichlaw.com
“Generally, reliable income can be generated by addressing a costly and specific problem for one type of customer. Many people search for ways to generate income from the Internet without knowing who their customers are or what problems they want solved. There are however, several paths to generating income.
One way is to sell a service to remove ‘friction’ from the lives of business owners. Once this service has been sold, use the Internet only as a means to deliver your service or find clients. If you have good judgment regarding how to write effectively, operate efficiently or administer a office, you could provide services to local medical clinics, real estate teams or other small businesses related to organizing their vendors’ contracts, creating and improving follow-up systems and cleaning up the process of client intake. Validate demand prior to investing time, money and energy into creating a course, software or branding your concept.”
21. Anthony Louis
Company: Anthony Louis Media
Website: https://anthonylouismedia.com
“The most overlooked income path right now is the offline local service economy paired with paid advertising. Everyone online is fighting over the same dropshipping and affiliate spaces, while demand for local services like window cleaning, pressure washing, and junk removal is huge and barely marketed.
You can start one with a few hundred dollars of equipment. The piece most people miss is the accelerator: instead of waiting on word of mouth, you run Google and Meta ads and turn on lead flow the day you open.
That’s how a new local business gets booked fast, and it’s exactly what I do for home service contractors. A few legitimate platforms to start: – Google Ads and Meta ads to generate leads – Thumbtack and Angi to land your first customers – Jobber or Housecall Pro to run scheduling, invoicing, and payments.”
22. Angel Sanchez
Company: Wanderlust Portraits
Website: https://www.wanderlustportraits.com/
“Websites like Upwork and Fiverr offer gateways to freelance work—writing, design, video editing, and even virtual assistance. For leveraging offline skills, platforms like TaskRabbit and Thumbtack help people monetize hands-on talents—think furniture assembly, pet sitting, or event setup.
If you have a specialized craft or skill, consider selling through Etsy for handmade goods, or hosting experiences on Airbnb Experiences. Both have allowed members of my creative network to generate income doing what they love, on their own schedule.”
23. Hayat Amin
Company: Beyond Elevation
Website: https://meethayat.com
“Sell skills you already have: Upwork and Contra for freelance gigs, Toptal if you are senior, Fiverr for productised one off services. Sell what you make: Gumroad and Lemon Squeezy for digital products and templates, Etsy and Shopify for physical goods, Substack and Beehiiv for paid newsletters.
Rent what you own: Airbnb for a spare room, Turo for a car, Neighbor for unused storage space. Sell your time at a premium: Intro and Clarity for paid expert calls, Maven and Teachable for cohort courses once you have a track record. The pattern that works in 2026 is simple: build a small portfolio of two or three income streams that each pay a little.”
24. Samuel Huang
Company: Tele Ads Agency
Website: https://teleadsagency.com
“New ways to make money start with freelancing. Upwork and Fiverr let you sell writing, design, or coding skills without any upfront cash. Dropshipping is another option. You build a store on Shopify, list products from suppliers, and handle only the marketing. Create a course on a niche you know and sell it on Etsy or Gumroad—no inventory, no shipping. Shopify lets you scale fast; keep it simple, test one platform at a time.”
25. Pavankumar Kamat
Company: Panto AI Inc.
Website: https://www.getpanto.ai
“Making reliable income today is less about a single “get-rich” channel and more about stacking repeatable, trust-based revenue streams.
1) Skill monetization: Start with high-value freelancing to validate demand, then productize and scale into an agency or micro-SaaS (Upwork, Fiverr, Toptal; sell tools on Gumroad).
2) Creator & knowledge businesses: Build audience-owned revenue through newsletters, memberships, courses, and paid communities (Substack, Patreon, Teachable, Kajabi).
3) Market arbitrage & asset-backed income: E‑commerce, local services, and short-term rentals convert effort into assets (Shopify, Etsy, Airbnb, TaskRabbit, Thumbtack).
The ladder approach: Month 0–3: paid freelancing to fund experiments; 3–12: productize your most repeatable gig into a $500–$5k/month offer; 12+ months: automate and diversify.”
26. Eugene Leow
Company: Marketing Agency Singapore
Website: https://marketingagency.sg
“I generated an extra $3,200 a month for a client from one SEO-optimized blog post. That came from matching their content to real search intent. For online strategies, I use platforms like Shopify to help clients rank product pages.
Offline, I used Fiverr to offer $500 local SEO audits for bakeries and dentists. That landed me $2,000 monthly retainers for ongoing management. Pick one channel and commit. SEO content works because it keeps earning without extra ad spend.”
27. Renee Kemper
Company: Modern Mom / Element Associates
Website: https://www.modernmom.com/
“One direct path is to package your existing professional experience into targeted services like campaign management or web storytelling for lifestyle and parenting outlets. Start by studying their contributor guidelines, then pitch concise, actionable ideas that fit their audience needs. The same approach scales offline when you launch a small service business rooted in what you already know how to do well.”
28. Melanie Roach
Company: The Business Design Alchemist
Website: https://thebusinessdesignalchemist.com
“The fastest way to generate online income is by turning your natural skills into structured service offers. Package talents like organization, writing, or digital design into high-value virtual support services. A highly profitable path is offering backend services like conversion copywriting, funnel design, or process automation to busy business owners. Launch and run this using Shopify for e-commerce, ConvertKit for email campaign management, and ClickUp to keep your clients’ projects organized.”
29. Ivan Jimenez
Company: DIGITAL IVAN
Website: https://digitalivan.com
“One practical income path is to sell “operational fixes” to local businesses: service-page cleanup, Google Business Profile improvement, review-page structure, FAQ content, and clearer quote/contact paths. For offline-to-online side income, look at Google Business Profile, Nextdoor, Thumbtack, Yelp, and Alignable.
For online skills, use Upwork, Contra, Fiverr Pro, LinkedIn Services, and Clarity.fm. Instead of offering vague “marketing,” package a specific diagnostic offer like “website trust audit,” “local SEO structure review,” or “service page rewrite.”
30. Ruth Jennifer Cruz
Company: Wolf King USA
Website: https://wolfkingusa.com
“I made $2,400 in my first month selling a photo editing template pack on Gumroad. Digital products are the fastest way to start earning without inventory. I designed the templates myself and listed them for $15 each. Gumroad handled the payments and delivery. Find a small pain point someone has, make a single digital fix for it, and sell it directly. Don’t build a whole course or empire. Start with one file.”
31. Paul Nebb
Company: Titan Technologies
Website: https://www.timefortitan.com/
“The most underrated opportunity is cybersecurity consulting for small businesses. Local businesses desperately need someone to audit their basic security setup, train their staff on phishing awareness, or simply explain what their IT provider is actually doing.
Platforms like Toptal or even Upwork let you start landing these contracts immediately. Alternatively, become a certified IT reseller affiliate for companies like ConnectWise or Pax8 to earn recurring commissions on managed services—without doing the technical work yourself.”
32. Billy Gregus
Company: Integrity Refrigeration and AC
Website: https://www.integrityrefrigerationandac.com
“Income comes from solving problems others ignore, like helping people avoid costly overspending on oversized equipment. Getting active in the local chamber and food programs created steady referrals and partnerships that turned into paid consulting on business values. Pick one skill to mentor others on and charge for targeted guidance sessions.”
33. Alex Staatz
Company: Rival Ink
Website: https://www.rivalinkdesignco.com/
“A highly profitable modern strategy is starting a custom print-on-demand business using e-commerce platforms like Shopify, where you only manufacture goods after the customer pays. You can expand your catalog instantly by partnering with established niche brands. To secure your cash flow early on, charge upfront design fees for custom work and offer flexible payment platforms like zipPay to make higher-ticket custom packages accessible.”
34. Ashley Cordova
Company: Zia Building Maintenance
Website: https://ziabuildingmaintenance.com/
“One practical path is building commercial cleaning contracts for offices by focusing on green product protocols and staff training systems. This creates repeat revenue through long-term agreements rather than chasing individual jobs. Consistent management of high-touch disinfection and floor care services stands out in the market; clients pay premiums for providers who deliver documented results and reduce their own liability risks.”
35. Torrey Yungeberg
Company: Raindrop NW
Website: https://www.raindropnw.com/
“Your local reputation is a monetizable asset. One underrated move is becoming a community watchdog in your industry. I wrote a public guide helping homeowners verify whether their roofing contractor is actually locally owned using free tools like state databases. That kind of transparency builds trust fast, drives organic traffic, and positions you as the go-to expert. Consider starting a hyper-local, niche newsletter or blog around consumer protection in your field.”
36. Lesley Upton
Company: King of Floors
Website: https://blog.kingoffloors.com/
“Start a small sourcing side business for specialty flooring products that stand out, like high-durability laminate lines with natural material certifications. Focus first on European suppliers known for strict emission standards, then resell samples or full lots to local contractors and homeowners through simple online listings or pop-up displays. Building an initial customer list this way often leads to repeat orders and word-of-mouth without needing heavy upfront costs.”
37. James Maranis
Company: Eastern Auto Paints
Website: https://autopaints.com.au/
“The most profitable businesses are built by solving highly specific, technical problems that generalists ignore. One lucrative strategy is offering custom product replication, like matching specialized textured finishes into easy-to-use liquid paint formats. You can start a high-margin niche business like this offline, then use e-commerce platforms like Shopify to manage orders, recurring purchases, and scale your reach.”
38. Charles Noble
Company: Hetneo
Website: https://hetneo.link
“The most profitable income strategies aren’t new platforms or AI gimmicks. They’re about taking a skill you already have and selling it on a proven marketplace. I’ve watched people earn $6,000 a month writing blog posts on Upwork. The key is picking a niche like financial copy or technical writing where demand outstrips supply. For physical products, Shopify gives you a storefront in under an hour; start with a specific audience, not everyone.”
39. David Hunt
Company: Versys Media
Website: https://www.versysmedia.com
“Skill-based online services are ideal for people who already have a marketable skill (writing, design, marketing, etc.). Productized knowledge like online courses (Udemy, Skillshare, Teachable) works well for specialists. Ecommerce, print-on-demand, and digital products are good for those comfortable with marketing. Audience and content monetization—like blogging, affiliate marketing, or video—suits people who are patient. Offline hybrid ideas, like local service businesses or rideshare, create early cashflow while building something scalable.”
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