17 Six-Figure Business Ideas That Require Minimal Investment

Last Updated on January 12, 2026 by Katie

You don’t need a huge loan, a storefront, or a warehouse to build a serious income. Most six-figure business ideas work because the model is simple, the offer is clear, and the owner keeps showing up when motivation fades.

“Minimal investment” also doesn’t mean “no work.”

Think of it as starting for under $1,000, often with a laptop, phone, and a few basic tools.

Your highest cost is usually time, focus, and the willingness to talk to customers.

Here’s the good news: both local services and online services can reach six figures when your marketing is steady and you build repeat customers.

A great offer and consistent follow-up can often outdo fancy branding.

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How to Pick the Right Low-Cost Idea and Actually Reach Six Figures

Picking from a list is easy. Sticking with one path long enough to get paid is the hard part.

If you want six-figure business ideas to turn into actual income, you need a decision framework that forces focus.

Start by choosing one niche where buyers already spend money. Then, validate demand fast.

That means you talk to 10 potential customers this week, not “research” for a month. Your goal is to confirm: do they have the problem, do they want it fixed, and will they pay your price?

Next, price for profit, not comfort. A low-cost business can still fail if you undercharge.

Aim for packages that make your math work: fewer clients, higher quality, better results, less burnout.

Finally, track weekly numbers like a coach tracks stats. If you don’t track it, you can’t improve it.

Watch leads, calls booked, closes, average order value, and profit. You’ll spot what’s broken fast.

Use this quick filter to choose one direction:

Time per week: 5, 10, or 20 hours you can protect

People skills vs screen skills: calls and relationships, or quiet production work

Comfort with sales: low (inbound only), medium (DMs), high (cold outreach)

Local vs online: in-person routes, or remote delivery

Repeat work potential: one-off projects, or monthly retainers

Know your real startup costs and what “minimal” really means

Most under-$1,000 businesses have boring but necessary costs: a basic domain and email, a simple website or landing page, and one or two paid tools (like accounting software, scheduling, or design).

If you’re local, add insurance and any required licenses.

Also watch for models that look cheap but require cash later. E-commerce can be like that.

Even if you don’t hold inventory, you might need ad spend, refunds, chargebacks, or “float” while payments clear.

If cash is tight, favour service businesses where you get paid upfront or on a monthly retainer.

Six-Figure Business Ideas that Require Minimal Investment

The ideas below are built for low startup costs and strong upside.

Each includes who it fits, the core tasks, and realistic earning ranges.

Your results will depend on pricing, demand, and consistency, but these are all six-figure business ideas when you run them like a real business, not a hobby.

1) Blogging and freelance writing (blogs, emails, landing pages)

This fits you if you write clearly, research well, and hit deadlines.

You’ll make money faster by writing for businesses first, then building your own blog on the side.

Start with one niche so your samples look focused, not random. Your tasks include pitching, writing, revising, invoicing, and asking for referrals after a win.

Once you’re booked, it’s realistic to earn $150 to $400 per day, or $3,000 to $12,000 per month depending on clients and rates.

The real value is usually your subject knowledge and judgment, not how fast you type.

Further reading: How to become a freelance writer with no experience.

2) Virtual assistant services for founders and small teams

Virtual assistants need to be organised and good at helping other people stay on track.

The work includes managing inboxes, calendars, simple docs, and basic customer support, often using tools like Google Workspace and Canva.

You can start with a simple “what I handle” page and a strong portfolio of systems you’ve built.

Expect $120 to $350 per day, or $2,500 to $10,000 per month, higher if you specialise (real estate, e-commerce ops, podcast support).

You’ll grow faster when you package outcomes instead of selling hours.

Common VA packages:

Inbox + calendar reset
Weekly admin support (X hours or X tasks)
Customer support coverage (weekday blocks)
Blog and social media management

For a step-by-step starting plan, read this guide on how to become a virtual assistant.

3) Remote bookkeeping (basic books, invoices, monthly close)

If you’re detail-oriented and steady, bookkeeping can be one of the top six-figure business ideas to get started with.

Day to day in this role you’ll reconcile accounts, categorise transactions, send invoices, and prep monthly reports.

You don’t need fancy math; you need accuracy, consistency, and clean communication.

With multiple clients, $200 to $600 per day is possible, and $3,000 to $15,000 per month with 5 to 15 clients on monthly retainers.

Trust is the product here, so keep your process tight and your reporting simple. To learn the basics, start with this guide on how to become a bookkeeper from home.

4) Social media management for local businesses

This is for you if you love hanging out on social media platforms and you can follow a schedule even when you’re not inspired.

Local businesses want consistency more than viral fame. You’ll plan posts, film quick clips, edit in CapCut, reply to comments, and share a simple monthly report.

Many managers earn $150 to $500 per day, or $3,000 to $12,000 per month with 4 to 10 clients.

Choose one type of business (gyms, med spas, or roofers), so your pitch is sharp.

A solid monthly package can include:

12 to 20 posts
8 to 12 short videos
Basic comment and DM replies
Monthly performance summary

Further reading: How to become a social media manager with no experience.

5) Become a YouTuber (get paid for ads, sponsorships and affiliate partnerships)

YouTube is a top side hustle if you can teach, entertain, or review products consistently.

You can be on camera or go faceless with screen recordings and voiceover.

To succeed, daily tasks need to be completed, such as scripting, filming, editing, posting on a schedule, and engaging with comments.

With consistency and a clear niche, you can reach $100 a day or more, then stack sponsors and affiliate deals.

Look at channels like MrBeast and Ryan Kaji as proof that the platform can scale when you publish relentlessly.

To build faster, treat each video like a “sales page” for one idea, not a random upload.

6) AI chatbot setup for small businesses (no-code builds)

If you like problem-solving and you’re comfortable talking to owners, this is one of the best six-figure business ideas for you.

To make money, you’ll map FAQs, build the bot, connect it to a site, test answers, and maintain updates.

Businesses want faster replies and fewer missed leads, which is why demand is rising.

Earnings can reach $300 to $1,000 per day per build, or $5,000 to $25,000 per month with builds plus monthly support retainers.

Keep it simple: pick one niche and build one repeatable chatbot template. To get help in the beginning, read how to use AI to create a business plan.

Further reading: How to make money with ChatGPT AI.

7) Website design with templates (fast builds for one niche)

This is a great business idea if you like design and you work well with checklists.

You’ll choose a niche, build template-based sites, connect forms, set up basic SEO, and train the owner to update pages.

Because you’re not reinventing the wheel each time, you can deliver fast and charge for outcomes.

Earnings often land around $400 to $1,200 per day during builds, and $4,000 to $20,000 per month with 2 to 8 sites plus maintenance plans.

Niching makes selling easier because your before-and-after stories are obvious.

8) SEO content service for local companies (simple, consistent wins)

If you have experience in writing and managing websites, providing SEO content services could be a great business for you to start.

As an SEO manager, you will service pages, publish blog posts, improve titles and meta descriptions, and track calls or form leads.

Retainers can reach $3,500 to $18,000 per month, and $200 to $700 per day when you’re booked.

Some local service companies dominate Google by building strong online marketing and spreading into multiple keyword variations, which can help them capture more leads than competitors.

Further reading: 5 best courses on Skillshare to learn digital marketing.

9) Online tutoring or coaching (1-to-1 and small groups)

This fits you if you’re patient and you can explain things simply.

Choose one subject and a clear outcome (raise a math grade, pass an exam, land an interview).

Daily tasks to make money would be lesson planning, marketing in local groups or social platforms, delivering sessions on Zoom, and collecting testimonials.

You can earn $100 to $500 per day part-time, or $2,000 to $15,000 per month.

Group workshops raise income without adding more hours, like teaching one session to six students instead of one.

Further reading: 10 platforms to teach English online with no experience.

10) Sell a small online course (one problem, one promise)

The e-learning market is booming with many people turning to online courses rather than traditional college and university.

And, the good news is that anyone can sell their knowledge on e-learning platforms.

To get started with this business, you’ll need to outline lessons, record simple videos, host them on a platform, and answer any student questions.

The math can be straightforward: a $500 course with 20 buyers a month equals $10,000 monthly.

A lower-priced option works too, like a $15 course that has 40 buyers, which will earn you a decent $600 side hustle cash.

Once sales start, you might average $100 to $600 per day, or $2,000 to $30,000 per month depending on your audience and offer.

Further reading: How to earn passive income selling courses online.

11) Affiliate marketing with niche content (blog, YouTube, or email)

Affiliate marketing is one of the best six-figure business ideas to start if you can create helpful content and keep your reviews honest.

The process of earning income involves comparisons, how-tos, and problem-solving guides, then building an email list for repeat traffic.

Brands give you a tracking link or code, and you earn per sale, and sometimes per click.

Early on, earnings might be $30 to $300 per day, then grow to $1,000 to $20,000 per month as traffic compounds.

It scales with views and trust, but it takes time and updates.

Learn more in this guide on how to start affiliate marketing with no money.

12) Print-on-demand store (shirts, mugs, niche gifts)

Print-on-demand is a great business model for beginners as you don’t have to buy stock upfront that potentially might not sell.

You just have to create and upload your designs and they will get printed when a customer makes an order.

You pick a niche, create 10 designs, list on Etsy or Shopify, handle customer messages, and test new designs weekly.

If your designs don’t sell, you can delete them and try with new designs till you find what customers want.

Earnings can run $50 to $400 per day, or $1,500 to $12,000 per month, higher if a few designs take off.

Keep your niche specific so your products feel like “inside jokes” for a group, not generic merch.

Further reading: How to sell t-shirts on Etsy using Printify.

13) Dropshipping with a small focus (one product category, fast testing)

Dropshipping fits you if you’re willing to market and learn by doing.

To get started, you’ll build a simple store, test 5 to 10 products, make short videos, manage customer service, and tighten shipping times.

Earnings vary a lot: $50 to $500 per day, or $2,000 to $20,000 per month, depending on margins and traffic.

Ads can burn cash if you don’t know what you’re doing, so start with small tests and learn one channel well.

Many people waste money on ads before they learn the skill, so treat early spending as tuition, not profit.

Further reading: 13 Amazon side hustles you can start today.

14) App development (games, productivity tools)

This is a top business to start if you can code, or you can manage a no-code build and user feedback.

You’ll start with one problem, build a simple version, then improve based on real users.

Monetisation can be subscriptions, one-time purchases, or ads, depending on the audience.

Startup costs can stay low with a laptop and developer accounts, but time costs are real. One app that solves a narrow pain point can outperform ten half-finished ideas.

15) Airbnb rental arbitrage (make rental money without owning a house)

Rental arbitrage is when you rent a place long-term, then sublet it short-term (only where it’s legal and allowed).

To make this business work, you’ll need strong communication, cleaning coordination, and guest support systems.

Startup costs can be low compared to buying property, but you may need deposits, furnishing basics, and cash reserves for slow weeks.

Your profit comes from the spread between monthly rent and nightly bookings. It can scale if you standardise your setup and keep ratings high.

Always confirm local regulations and get written permission from the property owner to avoid any messy legal problems.

Further reading: How to start an Airbnb business without owning a house.

16) Handyman or niche home service (small repairs, installs, punch lists)

If you’re practical and dependable, a handyman business can grow fast with local referrals.

A good place to start is on Task Rabbit, where you can offer small fixes, furniture assembly, TV mounting, drywall patching, home repairs, cleaning and more.

Many trades and home services pass six figures once you’re booked out and your marketing is consistent.

Earnings often hit $200 to $700 per day, or $4,000 to $18,000 per month, depending on local rates and repeat work.

Customers pay for trust and punctuality as much as skill. Keep jobs tight, show up on time, and ask every happy customer for a review.

17) IT support and basic cybersecurity help for small businesses

This is one of the ultimate six-figure business ideas for tech-minded people who stay calm under pressure.

The work includes setting up devices, managing updates, fixing account lockouts, running backups, and teaching basic phishing awareness.

Small businesses pay for ongoing protection because cyber threats keep rising, and they can’t afford downtime.

You can earn $300 to $1,000 per day on projects or emergencies, or $5,000 to $30,000 per month with support contracts.

Start with clear packages and simple reporting so owners understand the value.

Common services to offer clients:

Device setup and patching
Backups and recovery checks
Password manager rollout
Basic phishing training

Final Thoughts on the Best Six-Figure Business Ideas

Minimal investment can still produce big income if your offer is clear and your weekly actions don’t change.

Pick one idea, commit to it for 90 days, and track leads, close rate, and profit so you know what to fix next.

Many six-figure business ideas look simple on purpose; the edge comes from consistency and good service.

Your next step should be small but real: pitch five businesses, publish one useful post, or build one sample project you can show.

Do that today, then do it again tomorrow. That’s how a low-cost startup turns into a business you can actually live on.

Want more ideas?

Check these 41 small online business ideas that are cheap and easy to start.