108 Business Ideas — Side Hustle &amp; Part-Time in Urban Areas

Local Newsletter Business

Start a hyper-local email newsletter covering restaurants, events, local news, and community happenings for a specific c…

$2k-10k/month

AI Literacy Classes for Adults and Boomers

Offer in-person or virtual classes teaching adults (especially older demographics) how to effectively use ChatGPT and ot…

$2k-8k/month

BeginnerOnlineUnder $5K

Local City/Neighborhood Newsletter

Start a hyper-local newsletter covering restaurants, events, local news, and community happenings for a specific city or…

$2,000-$10,000/month

Idea Fair / Idea Conference

A one-day conference event where entrepreneurs pay to present their business ideas (around $500 ticket) and attendees pa…

$10000-$50000/event

AI Tutoring Classes for Boomers and Adults

In-person or virtual classes teaching older adults and boomers how to use ChatGPT and AI tools effectively. Start by off…

$3000-$10000/month

Facebook Marketplace Flipping (Buy Free/Cheap, Resell)

Source free or underpriced items from Facebook Marketplace, thrift stores (like Deseret Industries), or curb alerts, the…

$1000-5000/month

BeginnerHybridUnder $500

Homemade Food Sales on Facebook Marketplace

Prepare and sell homemade food items such as empanadas, arepas, dumplings, fettuccine alfredo, or sourdough starter dire…

$500-3000/month

$700-$2500/month per machine

Perfume/Cologne Vending Machine Operator

Purchase perfume vending machines (~$3,000 each from Perfuma in Spain) and place them in high-traffic locations like nig…

Perfume Vending Machine Event Rental

Own perfume vending machines and rent them out to festivals, weddings, corporate events, and parties for a flat daily or…

$500-$2000/month

Perfume Vending Machine Advertising

Use the built-in LED screen on perfume vending machines to sell ad space to local businesses or brands as a secondary re…

$200-$1000/month

Mini Donut Cart Business

Start a mobile mini donut cart operation at fairs, festivals, and farmers markets. Begin small with an eBay cart purchas…

$3000-$10000/month

Perfume Vending Machine Placement Operator

Purchase perfume vending machines (~$3,000 each) and place them in high-traffic locations like nightclubs, bars, hotels,…

$50K-$150K/year gross revenue

Brewery Tour Bus Service

Run monthly brewery tour routes in craft beer cities like San Diego. Use a unique vehicle (converted bus or trailer bus)…

BeginnerOfflineFree

Speed Service Competition Marketing for Local Businesses

Organize creative free competitions to market local service businesses. Examples: dirtiest car speed-cleaning contest fo…

$1,000-$5,000/month indirect revenue

IntermediateHybridUnder $500

Grant Consulting for Small Businesses

Find small businesses that qualify for government grants (especially energy/utility related) by scraping commercial real…

$5000-10000/month

Hands-On Skills Fantasy Camp for Adults

Run weekend workshops teaching millennials and Gen Z practical hands-on skills like welding, woodworking, plumbing, elec…

$5,000-$20,000/month

Vehicle Parking Rental

Rent out open land for vehicle parking, especially near airports, stadiums, event venues, or urban areas where parking i…

$1,000-$5,000/month

Billboard advertising for podcast or brand growth

Rent physical billboards in targeted geographic areas to grow a podcast or personal brand audience. Use platforms like B…

$2000-10000/month

BeginnerHybridUnder $500

AI voice agent agency for barbers and salons

Build AI voice agents using GoHighLevel for barbers, salons, nail techs, and massage therapists that replace their voice…

$5000-15000/month

Airbnb local experience guide service

Offer local guided experiences through Airbnb Experiences for tourists visiting your city. Show visitors the best local …

Escape room guerrilla marketing agency

Run viral marketing campaigns for escape room businesses using creative stunts like hiding money or QR codes around the …

$3000-$10000/month

BeginnerOnlineUnder $500

Local newsletter business

Start a local newsletter for a specific city or town, covering local news, events, weather, concerts, and real estate ma…

$5000-20000/month

IntermediateHybridFree

Lead gen middleman connecting GBP agencies with medical practices

Act as a middleman connecting Google Business Profile agencies with dental service organizations (DSOs) and medical serv…

$3000-10000/month

Disc golf hole-in-one challenge business

Set up a disc golf basket at a challenging distance (75-95 feet) and charge participants $5 for one throw or $10 for thr…

$2000/month

Skill-based carnival challenge business

Run pop-up skill-based challenge games at events, tournaments, fairs, and high-traffic locations. Variations include pul…

$5000/month

Frozen drink machine rental service

Buy frozen drink/margarita machines and rent them out for pool parties, weddings, and events in warm-weather markets. Ma…

$5000/month

Local AI bootcamp for small business owners

Run geo-targeted Facebook ads to local business owners and host an in-person AI seminar at a Holiday Inn conference cent…

$10000-$30000/month

Pop-up headshot and photo booth at conferences

Set up a professional camera rig at business conferences, office building lobbies, or co-working spaces and offer quick …

$5000-$10000/day

Project Earth - Nonprofit using robots to clean the planet

A college student's idea to start a nonprofit called Project Earth that develops robots to clean the planet. The host ad…

$0/month

Spin-the-wheel bar concept (Pickleback or Nickelback)

Lease a tiny 100 sq ft commercial space with street frontage in a dense city like New York where customers pay $10 to sp…

Pet hangout service for travelers in hotels

A service where travelers pay a small fee to spend time with local people's pets in their hotel room for an hour, target…

$1000+/month

Luxury claw machine business with mystery items

Place a claw machine stocked with mystery items like Pokemon cards, NFL cards, and Fortnite cards in high-traffic retail…

$2000-5000/month

$1000-2000/month per machine

Perfume vending machine business

Purchase and place perfume vending machines in high-traffic locations like malls and airports. Machines can generate $50…

BeginnerOnlineFree

Local events and social newsletter (Joy List clone)

Create a curated local events newsletter for a mid-size city like Phoenix, modeled after the Joy List in Dallas/Fort Wor…

Podcast and video studio rental business in office buildings

Lease a small room in a commercial office building and outfit it as a professional podcast and video recording studio av…

Airbnb house-hacking duplex

Purchase a duplex, live in one unit while renting the other on Airbnb as a short-term rental. The Airbnb income covers m…

Interactive fish vending machine for pet stores

Deploy claw-machine-style fish scooping vending machines at pet stores and family-oriented venues where kids can scoop l…

$2000-8000/month

BeginnerOnlineFree

Local city newsletter

Start a newsletter focused on your local city covering news, events, and community updates. Use a platform like Beehiiv …

$1000-5000/month

Drunk tow / late-night car delivery service

A service that tows bar patrons' cars home overnight so they wake up with their car in the driveway after a night out. A…

$2000-$10000/month

Perfume and Cologne Vending Machine

A compact vending machine about the size of a large mailbox with a glass display holding 5 bottles of cologne/perfume, a…

Urinal Gaming and Advertising Device

An interactive device installed in bar urinals that measures the strength and volume of a user's pee stream, ranks them …

Local Treasure Hunt Marketing Agency

Partner with 5-10 local businesses to sponsor a community treasure hunt as a guerrilla marketing event. Businesses contr…

Piano Removal Service

Charge homeowners $250 to remove unwanted pianos from their homes. In Dallas alone, 55-65 free pianos are listed on Face…

Vending Machine Business (Snack & Drink)

Buy vending machines (new or used from Craigslist) and place them in high-traffic locations like apartment buildings, of…

ATM Business

Place ATMs in hotels, dispensaries, strip clubs, and casinos. Charge a $5 surcharge per transaction, keeping about $2.50…

$4000+/month

Smart Cooler / Micro-Market Vending

Set up smart coolers where customers swipe a credit card, open the cooler, grab items, and get auto-charged. These work …

Perfume Vending Machine

A European concept where machines dispense perfume sprays for about $1 per spray with approximately 90% margins. Machine…

Massage Chair Business

Place credit card-operated massage chairs in public venues like malls, airports, and hotels for passive income. Customer…

$1500+/month

Jukebox Business

Place jukeboxes equipped with credit card readers in bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues. Customers pay to selec…

$1000+/month

BeginnerOffline$50K+

Buying Existing Vending or ATM Routes

Instead of cold calling to build locations from scratch, buy existing vending machine or ATM routes from retiring operat…

Stadium Events Business

Renting professional sports stadiums during off-hours to host activities like golf ($80 per round), fitness challenges, …

$10000+/month

Boot Camp / Master Class Licensing Business

License existing successful in-person boot camps and master classes (like SMB Boot Camp for business acquisition) and ho…

$10000+/month

Perfume Vending Machine Business

Sell perfume through vending machines placed in strategic locations. The speaker mentions this started from a short form…

Used Electronics Fair (Apple Products)

Apply the auto fair model to used electronics by organizing events where people bring specific high-demand items like iP…

Uber/Lyft In-Car Product Sales

Sell products to Uber or Lyft passengers during rides, with items that can be pitched and sold in 15 minutes or less. Dr…

$1000+/month

Facebook Marketplace Phone Flipping

Use AI agents to find significantly underpriced iPhone 15s and other electronics on Facebook Marketplace that were just …

IntermediateOnlineUnder $500

Local Email Newsletter to High-Ticket Service

Build a local email newsletter covering community news, events, and recommendations, then pivot it into a high-ticket mo…

$1000+/month per 3 machines scaling to $72000+/month at scale

Wholesale product distribution to convenience stores

Buy products at wholesale prices and resell them to convenience stores like 7-Eleven. Marcus Lemonis started his entrepr…

$2000-10000/month

BeginnerHybridUnder $50K

ATM Route Operation

Buy and operate ATM machines placed in retail locations like convenience stores. Revenue comes from surcharge fees (typi…

BeginnerHybridUnder $500

University Concierge Service for Parents (Dean List)

A subscription service ($500/year) for parents of college students offering local knowledge, insider tips, and concierge…

Tree Business Boot Camp

In-person and virtual boot camp teaching others how to start a tree trimming business by outsourcing all work to subcont…

$20000+/event

Mystery Box Vending Machine Business

Buy vending machines from Facebook Marketplace and stock them with mystery packages containing Amazon/retailer returns p…

Custom Concerts - Live Request-Based Music Events

Organize live music events where a talented cover band plays songs requested by the audience via a bidding/payment syste…

$5000-50000/month

$300K+ net profit per location per year

Modern Laundromat

Open a modern, clean, branded laundromat near existing run-down 'zombie mat' competitors. Offer superior customer servic…

$50-150 profit per unit, 20+ units possible

Tesla Wall Charger Reselling

Buy Tesla wall chargers at cost or using credits, sell on Facebook Marketplace for $450-500 each. Retail price is $450 p…

$10,000-25,000+ per truckload during back-to-school season

Bulk Flat Pack Furniture for College Towns

Buy truckloads of flat-pack furniture (~$4K for 300 pieces) and sell near college campuses to parents and students befor…

$120,000-$250,000/year revenue with $50,000-$100,000 profit

Concrete Leveling Business (Subcontractor Model)

Start a concrete leveling business by subcontracting all work to existing foam jacking operators while you handle sales,…

Mini Dutch Pancakes Stand

Sell mini Dutch pancakes (poffertjes) from a street stand or front yard using a specialized appliance costing $78-$700. …

Luxury Picnic Experience Service

Set up luxury picnic experiences in public parks and scenic locations for couples and groups. Charge $440-$700 per booki…

Coffee Shop Event Marketing Agency

An event marketing business that partners with coffee houses to fill their empty evening hours (4pm-10pm) with events, p…

$500-$2000/month per machine

Vending Machine Business

Operating vending machines in high-traffic locations. Discussed in the context of whether any business can be oversatura…

Moderate to high - rental income plus appreciation

Rental Property Investing

Buying affordable single-family homes and renting them out as a landlord. Started with a $90K home and expanded to multi…

Home Services Business (Non-Licensed)

Start a home services business that does not require specialized licensing or training, as recommended by Chris Kerner f…

$50K-$200K+/year

Highly variable; one high-ticket B2B conversion can yield $24,000

AirDrop Guerrilla Marketing at Events

Use Apple AirDrop to send promotional content to people at large gatherings like conferences, sporting events, bridal ex…

Low-cost customer acquisition at scale — reach hundreds of perfec

Retail Store AirDrop Customer Acquisition

Hire someone to stand outside a busy retail store like Buc-ee's and AirDrop promotional links to every customer entering…

BeginnerHybridUnder $50K

Washer and Dryer Rental Business

Buy new or used washer and dryer sets and rent them month-to-month to apartment tenants who lack in-unit laundry. Charge…

$6,000-$10,000+/month with 100+ units at $60-85/month each, scala

$400-$500/day on busy days, several hundred dollars per day durin

Appliance Delivery and Installation Service

Partner with scratch-and-dent appliance stores by posting your phone number and flyers at their locations. When customer…

Free Proposal Consultant (Wedding Lead Gen)

Offer free proposal planning consulting to men planning to propose. Coordinate the ring, photographer, venue, and after-…

$50k-$200k/year

$500-$2,000/month per machine

Vending Machine Business

Purchase and place vending machines in high-traffic locations such as college campuses, offices, and public venues. Requ…

Liquidation Furniture Reselling

Purchase Costco liquidation furniture (couches, dining sets) by the truckload at massive discounts. Example: truckload f…

$5,000-$20,000/month

Local Newsletter Business

Start a hyper-local newsletter and TikTok account covering your area (best bars, restaurants, events, etc.). Build an au…

$5,000-$20,000/month

Varies - growth strategy applicable to any business

Geo-Targeted City Domination Marketing

Pick a small/medium city and completely saturate it with your brand through geo-fenced digital ads across all platforms …

$500-$5000 profit per car flip

Buying and Flipping Cars from Craigslist

Buy undervalued cars on Craigslist and resell them for profit. Use keyboard shortcuts and templates to rapidly contact s…

$3K-$15K/month depending on number of facilities and residents se

Assisted Living AI Communication Service

Provide wearable AI recording pendants to assisted living facility residents. At the end of each day, send families an A…

$2K-$10K/month via revenue share with therapists

AI Pendant Service for Therapists and Counselors

Provide AI recording pendants to marriage therapists, counselors, and similar professionals. Clients opt in to wear the …

High scalability; example cited reached $8M revenue

Window Washing Business

Start a window washing company serving residential and commercial clients. Referenced example grew to $8 million in reve…

Varies by location; can generate passive income once staffed and

Laundromat Ownership as Semi-Passive Business

Buy a laundromat as a semi-passive income business where you hire attendants at $20-25/hour to manage day-to-day operati…

BeginnerOffline$50K+

Laundromat

Open a modern laundromat near existing rundown competitors to capture market share. Low-labor business model with recurr…

$100K-$500K/year

$2000-$10000/month depending on volume and market

Flipping Trailers on Facebook Marketplace

Research supply and demand for trailers in comparable sister cities using Facebook Marketplace. Message every trailer li…

Flipping Large Items on Facebook Marketplace

Focus on flipping big, heavy items like appliances, furniture, and equipment that most people avoid because of the physi…

Storage Auction Flipping

Attend storage unit auctions, bid on abandoned storage lockers, and resell the contents for profit. Listen to other bidd…

Car Customization for Turo Rentals

Retrofit rental cars (Teslas, Cybertrucks, Hummers) with LED lighting, starlight roofs, custom wraps, and other visual u…

$100k-$300k/year

Local Singles Meetup Events

Organize in-person dating events for singles in your local market. Reserve back rooms at restaurants, charge $20-$40 at …

$2K-$10K/month

Singles Sports League

Start a local recreational sports league specifically for singles. Activities could include kickball, volleyball, or oth…

$2K-$15K/month

BeginnerOnlineFree

Singles Newsletter

Start a local newsletter targeted specifically at singles in your city. Cover local events, dating tips, and community h…

$500-$5K/month

Postal Worker Real Estate Lead Generation

Recruit USPS mail carriers to identify distressed and off-market real estate properties on their daily routes. Provide t…

$5K-$50K/month

$50K-$150K/year depending on event volume

Espresso catering business (acquisition)

Acquiring an existing 32-year-old mobile espresso catering business that serves offices, schools, and events. Charges ar…

$1,000/day potential at full capacity ($25/person x 6-8 people x

Mobile Interactive Floor Tile Games

Buy interactive light-up floor tiles (similar to Activate Games) for under $15,000 and run a mobile or fixed-location ga…

BeginnerOfflineFree

Couch Flipping

Acquire free couches from junk removal clients or Facebook Marketplace free listings, photograph them on your trailer, a…

$500-$3K/month as side income

Per-use fees from each booth across multiple locations, scalable

Old-Timey Photo Booths in Bars and Venues

Buy old-timey photo booths (vintage-style with film/Polaroid prints) from China and place them in bars, malls, and other…

$2000-$20000/week profit at scale depending on volume and number

Costco Gold Bar Flipping

Buy 1oz gold bars from Costco at near or below spot price, then resell them online through marketplaces like CollectPure…

$120,000+ in first 3 months; 60-70% net margins on events; $5,000

Mobile Popup Roller Rink

A mobile business that sets up temporary roller skating rinks in mall common areas, mall parking lots, or other high-tra…

Racket Sport League Organizer

Organize competitive leagues and tournaments where local winners advance to regionals and nationals. Partner with privat…

$50,000-$200,000/year

Perfume Vending Machine Placement Business

Place perfume vending machines in high-traffic venues like malls, gas stations, med spas, and other retail locations. Te…

$50K-$300K annually

92% profit margin per spray + 15x profit per affiliate sale

Perfume Vending Machine with Affiliate Upsell

Set up physical vending machines that spray designer cologne for $1, boasting an initial 92% profit margin. To drastical…