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Want to start a business you can run entirely by yourself? Then you’ll love these one-person business ideas.
In this post, I’ll cover the benefits of these businesses and how you can get started with each one.
I’ve also categorized them into four groups:
- Digital content based
- Service based
- eCommerce based
- Advisory based
This will help you find the right business type for you as a solopreneur.
Let’s dive in.
Digital Content Based One-Person Business Ideas
This category of one-person business ideas involves publishing content online. You then have a multitude of ways to monetize the traffic, which I dive into below.
1. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is my top pick for one-person business ideas because it can be run entirely by you alone and has the potential for significant passive income.
You don’t need to store or distribute inventory, deal with customer support, or even need your own product.
That’s because you sign up for an affiliate program and promote other people’s products. When your audience buys from your unique link, you get paid a commission.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- A platform to publish content
- Compelling content (that sells)
- Traffic
That’s it!
Now, choosing the platform is easy enough. This depends on the type of content you want to make.
- YouTube for videos
- Social media for short posts
- Blogging for in-depth guides
- Newsletters for personal connection/stories
I cover many of these platforms later in this post.
The tricky bit?
Creating content that sells and getting traffic. But with some help from Matt Diggity, this business model is a breeze.
He has an entire course on affiliate marketing and plenty of free videos to get you started.
You can learn more from Matt Diggity’s course here and get started with affiliate marketing today.
2. YouTube Channel
More than 1 billion hours of video are watched daily on YouTube. That’s why starting a YouTube channel is another great one-person business idea.
A few other reasons:
- You can start today with just your camera phone
- Zero startup costs
- Multiple monetization methods
- No need to hire staff
Let’s break down a simple strategy to get you started.
- Find a YouTube niche
- Start YouTube affiliate marketing
- Add valuable content to grow your channel
- Once you reach the monetization threshold, turn on ads
That’s it! You can make passive income with affiliate marketing right away, then turn on ads once you’ve got enough subscribers (and watch hours).
You can add more monetization methods, such as online courses later. More on this one-person business idea next.
To get the most success from YouTube, check out our post on how to increase YouTube subscribers.
3. Sell Online Courses
Do you like the idea of teaching something you know? Then, selling an online course might be for you.
Here’s the deal.
Even though the internet has made it possible to learn literally anything for free, the eLearning industry is at an all-time high. Plus, it’s expected to reach a market value of $1 trillion by 2032.
That’s because people have a ton of fear and doubt when learning something new. By packaging up your knowledge in video format, you can guide people to mastering your craft.
Whether it’s cooking, coding, or crafting, there’s room for you to get a piece of the pie. You can host it on an online course platform and use YouTube to get traffic.
You can read this guide on how to build an online course that sells to help you get started.
4. Newsletter
A newsletter side hustle might be the perfect business if you want to work alone.
It works by building an audience through email marketing and sharing your words of wisdom.
You can then monetize your list through promoting affiliate offers, selling a service, or whatever you like.
The huge benefit is that you own the audience and aren’t governed by an algorithm that can take away your reach overnight.
You simply send regular emails with tons of value, then recommend products you know your list will love.
5. Self-Publishing
If you liked the selling online courses business idea, but don’t want to record videos, then you’ll love self-publishing.
This is where you package up your knowledge in a book. You can take advantage of the 487 million eBooks sold on Amazon every year.
All you have to do is choose topics people want to learn about and start writing. Then, you upload to Amazon KDP and watch the sales come in.
Want to learn more? Read our post on how to publish a book on Amazon and make money.
6. Blogging
Blogging has been one of the most appealing business models for solopreneurs for years.
That’s because you can utilize so many blog monetization strategies and only focus on content creation.
If you want to save yourself a ton of time, I highly recommend The Authority Site System by Authority Hacker.
In this course, you’ll learn everything you need to know about building a successful business in blogging.
Plus, you can get 40{5d3ddbe771dfd7baccbc708ede1f8581564c9b62644010c5b52d123c48304749} off the course here.
Service-Based One-Person Business Ideas
A service business is great if you need to make money fast. You can start most of these one-person business ideas by applying on job boards or freelance platforms like Upwork.
7. Freelance Writing
I’ve been a freelance writer for close to three years and found great success.
- I work from home (or a coffee shop)
- Choose my own hours
- And help businesses make more money
The best bit is it’s easy to learn, and there are plenty of businesses that need content marketing.
Plus you can write for blogs, social media, email marketing, and more, so there are plenty of options to choose from.
To get started, you can take a content writing course and find work on ProBlogger.
8. Graphic Designer
Starting a graphic design business couldn’t be easier right now. There are so many tools and resources that make it a great business model.
Just look at Brett from Design Joy. He has productized his graphic design service into a $5,000-per-month subscription.
He now makes $120,000 per month!
So, if you know how to use tools like Figma, there are plenty of ways to turn it into a successful online business.
One way is to create an offer on Fiverr. Another option is to find clients by posting tutorials on YouTube.
9. Video Editor
Just like the previous one-person business idea, a video editor is another one that can work well.
If you’re completely new, you’ll first want to learn the fundamentals. You can do this by searching for “video editing course” on YouTube or looking for the best Udemy courses.
Then, you’ll need experience editing video for businesses or YouTube channels. Once you’ve gained the confidence, you can increase your prices, work freelance, or create a productized service like Design Joy.
10. Web Developer
Do you love writing code, turning designs into web templates, or using page builders like Elementor?
Then web development might be the best one-person business idea for you. Again, there is no shortage of businesses that need web developers, and it’s not as hard to learn as you might think.
Here’s a simple marketing strategy to follow:
- Choose a niche: WordPress developer for coaches or Webflow developer for SaaS companies
- Create a portfolio: Create your own templates or examples website
- Set your pricing: Charge anything from $1,499 to $10,000 per project depending on what’s included
- Find clients: Use YouTube by creating tutorials or send a free website audit to the business owner
11. Social Media Marketer
If you enjoy posting on social media and are good at getting people to engage, then social media marketing is for you.
That’s right, you can make a business out of it. Whether you manage a business’s social media platform or help them run ads, companies are willing to pay good money for it.
The best way to get started is to choose a small business you want to work with, such as Facebook ads for plumbers or Instagram ads for eCommerce fitness brands.
Next, learn the basics from Udemy courses or YouTube videos. Then start reaching out to brands on social media offering to help.
In the beginning, you can charge a small fee for your time or for free in exchange for testimonials.
Once you’ve built up a good reputation, you can start charging between $500 and $2,000 per month, depending on your business goals.
eCommerce Based One-Person Business Ideas
The next group of one-person business ideas involves selling physical products. Thanks to today’s technology, eCommerce stores can often be run by a single person.
12. Print on Demand
Print-on-demand, or POD, is where you sell designs that get printed on physical products like shirts or mugs.
The great thing about this model is that you don’t need to do the printing. You can either buy ready-made designs from Creative Market or make your own designs in Canva.
Then you create mock-ups of your products so people can see what they will look like. In other words, you add your design to an image of the t-shirts and other products you sell.
Here’s a tutorial:
Lastly, you drive traffic to your store using Facebook ads. When people buy, the design is sent to the print-on-demand company, which prints the design and sends it to the customer.
13. Sell Handmade Items
If you’re a skilled crafter or DIY enthusiast, then selling unique handmade items might be your jam.
This could be a great way to turn a hobby into a thriving business, and a platform like Etsy is a perfect place to get started.
That’s because Etsy generated $2.748 billion in sales in 2023 and gets around 500 million visitors every month.
Simply set up your store, upload high-quality photos of your products, and optimize your product listings.
You’ll be able to do what you love and find customers who appreciate your craftsmanship.
You can also read our post on how to make money on Etsy for more details.
14. Fulfilled by Amazon
Fulfilled by Amazon or FBA gives you access to Amazon’s huge customer base and distribution network without the hassle of shipping and customer service.
All you have to do as an aspiring entrepreneur is send your products to Amazon’s fulfillment centers, and they handle the rest. You can focus on sourcing products and scaling your business.
First, you’ll need to choose the right products to sell. You can do this with Amazon FBA software or by looking through the bestsellers.
Second, find a manufacturer on Alibaba and order a sample. Once you’re happy with the product, you can order your first batch.
Lastly, work on getting more reviews on Amazon so that your listing gets more views.
Then, replenish your stock when you’re getting low.
Advisory Based One-Person Business Ideas
This last category of business ideas for solopreneurs is where you are paid for your expertise and advice. Let’s take a look.
15. Business Consultant
A business consultant is someone who is an expert in the field of business. So this business idea is perfect for you if you’ve had business success.
You’ll typically help businesses grow and improve efficiency. This can be through strategy, operations, management, or helping them clarify their vision.
Many business consultants will specialize in a specific niche that reflects their strengths and experience, which can help establish expertise.
If you want to get into this one-person business, be sure to read how to start a consulting business.
16. Life or Fitness Coach
Like the vehicle, a coach helps a person get from where they currently are to where they want to be.
And coaching as a business has blown up in recent years. Some people say that coaching is too saturated, but that’s not true.
To be a successful coach, you need to differentiate yourself and find a unique selling proposition or USP.
Plus, it would be wise to learn how to coach people.
Essentially, coaching involves listening to the client’s problems from their current perspective. Then, asking them questions to help shift that perspective.
Coaching is not about giving advice because the most effective level of change is done on the subconscious level. Therefore, the client must question their own way of thinking that is keeping them stuck instead of being told.
So, if you’re a good listener and can formulate transformative questions, coaching as a one-person business will be perfect for you.
17. Financial Planner
This last idea for solo businesses requires a formal qualification. However, that didn’t stop Kyle Nolan from breaking into the finance space with his financial planning tool.
Plus there are countless bloggers who find success in the FIRE niche, who aren’t “qualified” financial advisors. That stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early.
These people have figured out how to become financially free and retire at a young age.
The point is this: If you are successful with money, whether it’s spending money wisely or making a lot of it, you probably have enough wisdom to share with the world.
You could do a number of the things on this list as a business in the finance space, such as a YouTube channel, newsletter, and a blog.
Conclusion
Now it’s over to you. Which of these one-person business ideas will you choose?
If you want a completely solo business where you don’t even need to interact with customers, then affiliate marketing is the best option.
You can learn how to start an affiliate marketing business in Matt Diggity’s course, The Affiliate Lab.
Whichever one you choose, simplicity and taking consistent action every day is key. Good luck!