Print on Demand vs dropshipping: Which eCommerce model is right for your business?
In this guide, we’ll compare Print on Demand vs dropshipping – from their difficulty level and costs to profit margins.
Start a print-on-demand business today
Small business ideas are income-generating ventures you can start independently, usually with low upfront costs and flexible working hours.
If you’re thinking about switching careers, becoming your own boss, or building a side hustle, you’re not alone. More people are turning to entrepreneurship for freedom and long-term income.
In this guide, we explore online, creative, service-based, and product-focused small business ideas with minimal investment. We also list the earning potential and practical use cases to help you choose the right fit.
Online business ideas
Online business ideas are great for anyone who wants flexible hours, low overhead, and location freedom. These models are easy to test quickly and scale at your own pace using just a laptop and an internet connection.
Print on Demand
Monthly earning potential:$500 to $3,000 for stores operating less than two years.
Print on Demand (POD) removes the biggest barriers to launching a store. You don’t need the budget, time, or space to manage production, inventory, or shipping yourself. Only pay for a product after a customer orders, eliminating upfront investment and risk of unsold stock.
With Printify, getting started is even easier. Choose from more than 1,300 customizable products across categories like apparel, home decor, and accessories. Whatever niche you choose, there’s something to personalize and sell.
Blogging
Monthly earning potential: $100 to $1,000 for blogs with 10,000 monthly pageviews.
Create helpful content in a niche you enjoy and implement search engine optimization (SEO) so new readers can easily find you. As your audience grows, monetize your blog through ads, affiliate links, sponsored content, or even digital products.
This gig also pairs well with other business ideas. For example, launch a POD store and use your blog to drive traffic to your products. Turn readers into customers by naturally featuring the items you sell in relevant posts.
YouTube channel
Monthly earning potential: $1,000 to $3,000 for channels with 100,000 monthly views.
Like blogging, this gig works for almost any niche. Videography skills help, but many YouTubers do well with simple vlog-style videos filmed on a phone.
The best part is YouTube’s built-in monetization tools, including ads, channel memberships, live tipping, and even a merchandise store. As your subscriber count grows, so does your higher earning potential.
Dropshipping
Monthly earning potential: Up to $2,000 for beginner dropshippers.
Dropshipping is similar to POD because you don’t handle inventory or shipping. The big difference is that instead of selling custom-printed products, you list ready-made items from your supplier. When someone buys, the supplier ships it straight to your customer.
It’s a great fit if you prefer focusing on marketing instead of creating designs.
Affiliate marketing
Monthly earning potential: Up to $1,000 for beginners.
Affiliate marketing is all about promoting other companies’ products and earning a commission when someone buys through your link. You can do this through a blog, YouTube channel, email list, or social media accounts.
It’s one of the most popular low-cost business ideas because you don’t need your own product, inventory, or customer support. Just make sure to always be transparent with your audience when sharing affiliate links to maintain trust and stay compliant.
Micro-influencer management agency
Monthly earning potential: $2,000 to $10,000 per client on retainer.
A micro-influencer management agency connects small creators with brands that want authentic promotion on social media. You source the right influencers, negotiate brand deals, and manage the campaign from start to finish.
Revenue is usually commission-based at around 15%-30% of the campaign budget, or you can charge a flat fee or monthly retainer for ongoing management.
Digital mini-courses
Monthly earning potential:$500 to $5,000 for new course creators.
Want to turn what you know into profit? Digital mini-courses let you package your expertise into bite-sized online classes. It can be fulfilling work for people who enjoy teaching but prefer not to follow traditional classroom formats.
Depending on your pricing model, students can make a one-time purchase or pay a recurring fee to access your content.
Remote consulting
Monthly earning potential: $2,000 to $4,500 for entry-level consultants.
Remote consulting is a great alternative to online courses if you have a professional background and prefer working directly with clients. Build a flexible consulting business where you offer one-on-one or small-group guidance through video calls or in person in areas like marketing, finance, or fitness.
When starting out, you’ll need to invest time in building rapport and earning the trust of potential clients. Once you establish a strong personal brand and reputation, people won’t hesitate to pay you per session or on a monthly retainer.
Creative business ideas
These creative business ideas are ideal for artists, designers, and makers who want to turn their skills into scalable income through digital products, freelancing, or physical goods.
Sell handcrafted products
Monthly earning potential:$1,000 to $2,000 for new sellers on Etsy.
If you enjoy making things by hand, selling handcrafted products can be a great small business idea. With consumers increasingly valuing craftsmanship and eco-friendly goods over mass-produced items, unique, handmade jewelry, home decor, and eco-friendly upcycled goods are in high demand.
You can sell at local events, online marketplaces, or through your own eCommerce store to build a loyal customer base.
Photography or videography
Monthly earning potential: $800 to $2,750 for entry-level freelance photographers. $1,000 to $5,000 for entry-level videographers.
Launching a photography business doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. Start small by selling stock photos and videos on platforms like Shutterstock and Adobe Stock. You can also turn your shots into physical prints or custom products like mugs, t-shirts, or tote bags using POD.
For a more hands-on approach, consider offering photography and videography services for events, brands, real estate agents, or social media content.
Baking
Monthly earning potential:$200 to $1,500 for home bakers.
As more people become health-conscious, this is a great opportunity to tap into the growing demand for gluten-free, vegan, or refined sugar-free baked goods.
Sell homemade cakes, pastries, or specialty treats at local events, small brick-and-mortar shops, or by taking pre-orders from home. Alternatively, partner with local businesses to supply their corporate events with baked goods.
Short-form video production
Earning potential:$2,000 to $5,000 per month for beginner video editors.
Short-form video production is a great gig if you’re a creative. You can offer your skills to help clients create viral-ready clips like social media posts, brand promos, or personal-brand content for platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels.
Want to scale faster? Try selling content packages to local businesses, influencers, or small brands and run their content machine.
Brand identity design
Monthly earning potential: $2,500+ for freelance brand designers, depending on the project size and client volume.
Brand identity design is a lucrative business for anyone with a background in graphic design and a strong eye for visuals. With an average of 5 million businesses started every year, demand for logos, color palettes, brand guidelines, and full visual systems is growing.
Your service offerings can range from simple logo packages to full brand kits for startups, eCommerce stores, and local businesses.
Digital illustration and asset packs
Monthly earning potential: $2,500+ for freelance illustrators.
Turn your art into sellable asset packs like icons, Procreate brushes, social media graphics, or UI elements. These products are popular with designers, content creators, and small business owners who want ready-to-use visuals.
Sell your creation through your own online shop or digital marketplaces like Envato Market or Gumroad. Once your packs are live, your main focus is simply marketing them – perfect for generating passive income.
Podcast editing and production
Monthly earning potential:$2,500+for entry-level podcast editors.
The podcast industry continues to grow rapidly, and with more shows launching every day, the need for skilled editors and production support keeps rising.
Offer services like editing, sound cleanup, episode formatting, show notes, and distribution support to capitalize on this trend. With recurring clients and monthly retainers, this can easily turn into one of the more profitable business ideas in the creative space.
3D product mockup design
Monthly earning potential:$1,600 to $3,000+ for freelance 3D artists.
Here’s another design-focused small business idea with growing demand. Brands, eCommerce stores, and marketers increasingly rely on 3D visualizations to boost buyer confidence, leading to stronger conversion rates and fewer returns.
If you know how to use modeling tools like Blender or other 3D software, this is your time to shine. Create realistic product renders, packaging previews, lifestyle scenes, or configurable mockups as part of your service offerings.
Social media template design
Earning potential:$5 to $300 on Fiverr and Upwork, depending on the project.
Ad spending on social platforms is expected to grow by 10.9% each year from 2026 to 2030, making social media graphic design one of the most profitable small business ideas to try.
Specializing in a single platform like Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest helps you stand out faster, charge higher rates, and deliver better-performing designs.
Alternatively, sell bundled asset packs that include ads, banners, stories, carousels, and post templates. This approach is also great for building your portfolio and generating word-of-mouth referrals.
Service-based business ideas
Service-based businesses are best for people who prefer working directly with clients and doing hands-on tasks.
House cleaning
Monthly earning potential:$2,000 to $4,000 for self-employed house cleaners.
House cleaning is one of the easiest service-based business ideas to start because startup costs are low and demand is steady. You can begin with basic supplies, offer weekly or bi-weekly cleanings, and focus on residential homes, short-term rentals, or small offices.
Do market research to set pricing that makes sense, build a social media presence to attract potential customers, and ask your first clients for reviews to establish trust quickly.
Pet sitting and walking
Earning potential: $15 to $30 per 30 minutes.
Animal lovers, this one’s for you. A dog walking business and cat sitting services are the most common options, but there’s also a growing market for other pets that need in-home care.
Reach out to pet owners in your local area to build a client base or post ads in community Facebook groups.
Bookkeeping
Monthly earning potential:$2,000 to $6,000 for freelance bookkeepers.
This business venture is ideal for anyone who’s good with numbers and organization. Whether you specialize in record keeping, invoicing, expense tracking, or basic financial reporting, consider advertising your services online.
Since this can be done fully remotely, it’s entirely possible to grow your client base beyond your local area.
Virtual assistance
Monthly earning potential:$2,000 to $5,000+ for freelance virtual assistants.
Virtual assistance is about helping clients with administrative tasks online. These can include email and calendar management, customer support, data entry, social media scheduling, research, and basic content updates.
Your target audience may range from solo entrepreneurs and online store owners to coaches, consultants, and growing startups. The good news is you can work with clients from anywhere, making it flexible enough to be either your main career or a side gig.
Event planning
Monthly earning potential:$2,000 to $7,000+ for freelance event planners.
Event planning is a great fit if you’re organized, detail-oriented, and enjoy working with people.
To get started, help friends or family plan private events like birthday parties or baby showers at a discounted rate or for free, or assist established planners with logistics and day-of support. Always ask permission to document events for your portfolio.
Tutoring
Monthly earning potential:$2,300 to $4,200 for freelance tutors.
Tutoring services are one of the most flexible small business ideas from home, especially if you enjoy teaching. You can offer academic support, test prep, language lessons, or skill-based training online or in person.
The key is choosing a subject you know well and building credibility by helping your students achieve their academic goals.
Mobile car detailing
Monthly earning potential:$1,800 to $3,500.
Mobile car detailing gives your clients convenience. You bring professional interior and exterior cleaning services directly to customers instead of running a shop. This appeals to busy car owners and businesses with fleets.
Services to offer include deep interior cleaning, waxing, polishing, and seasonal detailing packages.
Home decluttering
Earning potential:$60 to $120 per hour on Airtasker.
Home decluttering can work as a hands-on service or a coaching-style business, depending on what you enjoy. Help people organize their spaces in person or teach minimalism online through sessions, guides, or workshops.
You can also turn it into an online reselling business by helping clients sell unwanted but valuable items, which is especially popular with busy professionals and families.
Local handyman services
Monthly earning potential:$2,400 to $6,200 for self-employed handymen.
Skilled at fixing things? Consider launching a local handyman business. You can cover a wide range of needs, from small home repairs and furniture assembly to painting, shelving, and light maintenance jobs.
This gig mostly relies on word of mouth, so start by checking whether anyone in your neighborhood or community needs something fixed.
Personal training
Monthly earning potential: $1,900 to $5,000 on average for freelance personal trainers.
Launch your own business and become a personal trainer to help others reach their fitness goals. Common services include in-person one-on-one sessions, online coaching, and creating custom workout plans for different fitness levels.
Tech-focused business ideas
From web development to cybersecurity, technology continues to open doors to new income streams. These tech-focused businesses are ideal for problem-solvers who enjoy building systems, automating work, and maintaining digital infrastructure for growing companies.
Web and app development
Monthly earning potential: $2,900 to $12,500 for freelance web developers.
Web development focuses on building websites for branding and sales, while app development means creating interactive mobile tools and digital products.
Market your services by approaching small businesses without a website, or use freelance platforms like Upwork and Fiverr.
SEO consulting
Earning potential:$15 to $35per hour for beginner SEO specialists on Upwork.
As an SEO consultant, you help businesses improve their visibility on search engines and attract more organic traffic. Typical projects include technical SEO audits, keyword research, and on-page optimization.
Online stores, local businesses, and content creators benefit from these services the most.
AI automation agency
Monthly earning potential:$3,000 to $13,500 for freelance automation engineers.
Running an AI automation agency means helping businesses save time by automating repetitive tasks like customer support, lead follow-ups, data entry, and internal workflows.
It’s a great fit for tech-savvy founders who enjoy problem-solving and building efficient systems, and you can start solo with no-code tools before scaling into a small team.
IT support
Monthly earning potential:$2,500 to $6,500 for remote IT support technicians.
IT support technicians help small businesses and remote teams with device setup, software issues, network problems, backups, and basic cybersecurity.
Many clients prefer on-demand help or monthly support plans, making this a reliable service with strong potential for recurring income.
Customized chatbot solutions
Earning potential:$30 to $61 per hour for freelance chatbot developers on Upwork.
With over 987 million people using AI chatbots today, online stores, service providers, and SaaS brands are actively looking for specialists in this area. Turn your skills into a steady income stream by helping them automate customer support, answer FAQs, and capture leads around the clock.
Cybersecurity awareness training
Monthly earning potential: $3,800 to $12,000 for freelance cybersecurity professionals.
Cybersecurity awareness training helps businesses keep their sensitive data safe from unauthorized access. It’s a great new business idea for IT and security professionals, especially if you already have a portfolio to showcase your experience.
Offer workshops, online courses, or employee training programs to build a client base of small businesses, startups, and remote teams.
Data cleanup and migration service
Earning potential:$35 to $75per hour for freelance database administrators on Upwork.
This service involves organizing databases, maintaining data integrity, and safely moving data between systems or platforms. Business owners rely on it when switching software, upgrading tools, or scaling operations.
Having experience with spreadsheets or databases and strong attention to detail helps your business take off.
Smart home setup and integration
Monthly earning potential: $2,200 to $8,200 for freelance smart home installers.
The rise in the smart home market means increasing demand for setup and integration services. If you’re comfortable working with this kind of tech, offering in-home setup, troubleshooting, and ongoing maintenance to busy households is a good business idea.
More small business ideas to explore
The following small business ideas go beyond traditional categories but still offer strong income potential when matched with the right skills and market demand.
Sustainable product refurbishing
Monthly earning potential:$4,000 to $12,500 for refurbished furniture stores.
Sustainable product refurbishing is all about restoring used or damaged items and giving them a second life instead of sending them to landfills.
Source furniture, electronics, clothing, or home decor items at a low cost and make a profit by reselling them at a higher price after repairing them. Online marketplaces and local pop-ups are great places to scout for potential buyers.
Urban farming micro-business
Monthly earning potential: $4,000 to $8,000 for established micro-farms.
Looking for unique small business ideas? An urban farming micro-business focuses on growing food in small spaces like backyards, rooftops, balconies, or community plots.
If you have a green thumb and like the idea of selling fresh herbs or specialty produce directly to local households, restaurants, or farmers’ markets, this is a great opportunity to start your own small business while serving your local community.
Collect and recycle materials
Earning potential: $70 to $700+ per ton, depending on the material.
Gather items like plastic, metal, paper, electronics, or scrap and sell them to recycling centers for processing. Unlike sustainable product refurbishing, this gig makes money by returning raw materials into the production cycle.
It’s one of the best small business ideas to build around environmental impact and volume-based work.
Meal prep and delivery
Earning potential:10% to 40%profit margin.
The first step to selling meal prep and delivery services is conducting market research to understand dietary trends, pricing, and portion preferences for your target clients. As you build a loyal customer base, you can offer weekly meal plans, niche menus like vegan, keto, or family-style options, or even corporate lunches.
Pay close attention to food safety and use smart packaging to make your offerings more appealing.
Food truck business
Monthly earning potential:$20,000 to $42,000gross income.
A food truck business lets you sell without opening a full restaurant. However, you will need permits and licenses, along with a truck and mobile cooking equipment, which explains why startup costs are higher than most other ideas on this list.
Once you’re up and running as a food truck owner, you can test different locations, rotate menus, and grow through local events and social media to earn back what you invest.
How do you find the right small business idea for you?
Most successful small business ideas work when they match the person’s passions or expertise. Here’s what to consider when choosing your business venture:
- Personal strengths and skills. Start with what you’re already good at to shorten the learning curve.
- Passion. A business is easier to grow when you actually enjoy the work.
- Real-life problems. The best ideas come from helping people solve everyday pain points.
- Market demand. Check search trends, competitors, and what people already pay for.
- Startup costs and resources. Know what you can realistically afford in time and money.
- Personal lifestyle. Make sure the idea fits your schedule, energy, and long-term goals.
What common challenges do small businesses face?
Running a small business is rewarding, but not without hurdles. With 21.9% of new businesses failing in the first year, understanding the most common challenges can help you prepare smarter and avoid costly mistakes.
- Cash flow instability. Income may fluctuate, especially in the early stages, making budgeting and planning harder.
- Limited marketing reach. Getting your brand in front of the right audience and standing out takes time, consistency, and testing.
- Time constraints. Many business owners juggle multiple roles at once, which can quickly lead to burnout.
- Hiring challenges. Finding reliable help and keeping good talent is difficult with limited resources.
- Keeping up with technology. This is especially crucial for tech-based businesses, as tools and platforms evolve fast.
Start a small business with Printify
Printify makes it easy to launch a small business selling custom products without holding inventory or paying upfront for products or supplies. Here’s how to get started:
- Sign up for a free Printify account.
- Choose your product from our Catalog.
- Create your design using our free Product Creator.
- Connect your Printify account to your eCommerce store.
- Publish your listings and start promoting your products.
Printify’s global network of Print Providers lets you grow your business wherever you are. Bring the ideas and the marketing plan, and we’ll handle the production and shipping.
Small business ideas FAQ
The most successful small business is one that aligns with your skills, market demand, and budget. From earning potential alone, tech-based businesses are a growing industry. AI automation agencies and web development services are in high demand.
In terms of ease of launch, online businesses like Print on Demand are especially popular due to low startup costs and strong long-term scalability.
With $5,000, you can start a print-on-demand business or exploreaffiliate marketing, tutoring, blogging, virtual assistance, or freelance design. These models rely on skills and digital tools rather than inventory – keeping upfront costs low while offering scalable earning potential.
The cheapest side hustle ideas are service-based models like tutoring, consulting, and virtual assistance. Online businesses such as blogging, Print on Demand, and YouTube channels also require little more than your skills, a laptop, and time.
In 2026, businesses tied to AI and automation, eCommerce, and home services are expected to grow fastest due to digital adoption and shifting consumer demand. This makes tech-focused and eCommerce-based businesses like Print on Demand especially promising.
Ready to launch your small business idea?
There’s never been a better time to turn your skills, interests, and ideas into a small business. Whether you start online or in your local community, the right idea can grow right along with you.
If Print on Demand is on your radar, Printify makes it simple to get started without inventory or upfront costs. Start small, stay consistent, and give yourself room to learn as you go.
