18 Businesses That Run Themselves for Passive Income

What do you want to know? The best business you can run yourself teeth?

Have you ever dreamed of having a self-running business? Whether you want some extra income or a full-time job, these businesses generate revenue without needing you all the time.

Having a self-sustaining business means you have more time to do the things you love: spend more time with your family, travel, pursue your passions, start another business, etc. These types of businesses are the perfect way to make your dreams a reality.

However, this does not mean that in all the businesses mentioned below, you do not have to work at all. Every business requires different time. It may take some time in the beginning to start the business, it may take some time to maintain it, or you may need to hire employees to keep the business running and check on it from time to time.

Recommended reading: 18 Passive Income Ideas to Earn $1,000+ Per Month

Self-managed business

Below are some of the best self-run businesses.

1. Self-service laundromat

A coin laundry business can be a great business idea for someone who wants a business that runs almost automatically.

With the right setup, you may only need to check in every once in a while. Since people always need clean clothes, a laundromat can be a steady source of income.

The daily tasks of a laundromat include opening in the morning, maintaining the machines (washers and dryers), cleaning the store, replenishing detergent, managing finances, etc. As the average self-service laundromat has two employees or less, this is also a business that can be outsourced.

Running a laundromat is popular among business owners because it’s rewarding and requires very little effort, so if you’re looking to earn a steady income with minimal daily effort, this may be the perfect option for you.

Recommended reading: Are coin laundromats profitable? How much profit do coin laundromats make?

2. Sell print materials

Digital products, like print products, are a great way to enable a self-sustaining business.

Making prints on Etsy is a great idea because you only need to create one digital file per product and then you can sell an unlimited number of them. This is what makes Etsy a great passive income opportunity. Plus, you can make prints without needing anything but a laptop/computer and an internet connection.

A printable is a digital product that your customers can download and print at home. Examples of printables include:

• Grocery Shopping Checklist
• Gift Tags
• Candy bar wrappers
• printable quotes for wall art
• pattern
• planner
• Coloring book
• Stickers

These products are designed to be easily printed from a computer or other device, making them convenient for buyers who want to customize and use them immediately.

Recommended reading: How to make money selling prints on Etsy

3. Blog

Blogging is a mostly automated business, but it’s not passive, especially at the beginning. Blogging requires a lot of work and can take up most of your time when you’re starting out. Over the years, I’ve managed to automate most of my blogging and get it running with about 10 hours of maintenance each week.

Starting a successful blog is hard. It’s not something that just anyone can do.

That being said, learning how to start a blog has been one of the best decisions I’ve made. Blogging is a great way to make semi-passive income and extra money.

I think it’s one of the best businesses you can run yourself, and I’ve been doing it for years. You can take weeks off at a time and still make a decent income during those days.

Blogging can generate passive income because you can create blog posts (high-quality content is key) and keep earning money for years. This income can come from affiliate marketing and display ads. Unlike a traditional job where you have to work every day to earn money, blogging allows you to earn money 24 hours a day, even while you sleep, thanks to the work you’ve already done in the past.

There is free training available. How to Start a Blog Free CourseWant to see how I built a $5 million blog? In this free course I’ll show you how to create a blog from the technical aspects to making your first income and attracting readers.

4. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a great way to make money from a business that runs almost automatically and makes money while you sleep.

Of all these virtually self-running businesses, this is my favorite. I’ve made over $2 million through affiliate marketing over the years, and much of it has been semi-passive. I can make money whenever I want – on vacation, when I don’t have internet, when I’m sleeping.

Affiliate marketing is a way to make money by putting special links on your website or social media. When people buy something through your link, you get a commission. For example, if you link to a book on Amazon from your website (after joining the Amazon Affiliate Program) and someone buys the book through your link, you get a commission. Companies like Amazon value good affiliates who help promote their products and services.

You can earn commission by promoting other companies’ products and services, and when someone purchases through your link, you get paid.

Affiliate marketing isn’t completely automatic, however — you still need to create content that will attract readers and find ways to get page views — but once you get started, you can start making money without having to actively work at it all the time.

Recommended reading: Affiliate Marketing Tips for Beginners – Free E-Book

5. Rental real estate and properties

Becoming a property owner and managing property can be a great way to run your own income generating business.

One way to make extra money is to list your property on Airbnb or other short-term rental platforms. You can rent out your entire house, apartment, or just a room to travelers looking for a short-term stay.

Another way to make money is through long-term rentals. Long-term rentals are when you rent out a property for an extended period of time, usually six months to a year or more. For example, you could rent out an apartment or house to a family who will live there full-time.

One of the benefits of long-term rentals is that they provide a steady, consistent income. Renting your property to a long-term tenant can provide you with a steady stream of rental income. This reliability is especially appealing to those looking for a steady source of passive income. Additionally, managing a long-term rental is usually less of a hassle than short-term rentals, as you don’t have to clean the property as often or find new tenants on a regular basis.

Whether you rent out your property short-term or long-term, you can reduce your involvement as an owner by outsourcing some of the day-to-day tasks that may be required to a property management company, making your rental property business a more hassle-free business model.

Recommended reading: 23 Best Real Estate Side Hustles to Earn Extra Money

6. Online Courses

Creating and selling online courses is a great way to earn passive income, and once you’ve developed your content and put it on a platform like Teachable, most of it is taken care of automatically.

Online courses allow you to share your knowledge with others. Maybe you’re good at math, photography, or playing the guitar – you can turn those skills into a course.

Creating an online course is a smart way to take your knowledge and turn it into a business that runs almost automatically. Not only is it fun, but it allows you to help a lot of people at once.

I created my first online course a few years ago called “Understanding Affiliate Marketing” and have made over $2 million from it.

Creating a course isn’t the easiest way to start a self-running business, but it can be a great way to earn income around the clock. Most of the work is done at the beginning, and then there’s the maintenance that’s required along the way, like keeping the course up to date and helping students.

Recommended reading: How I made over $1 million from my first course without a big launch.

7. Storage Facilities

Running a storage facility is a great way to have a business that you can pretty much self-manage. Plus, it can be a steady source of income and many storage facilities have long waiting lists and are in high demand.

A self-storage facility is a place where you can store your belongings, such as boxes of memorabilia, your car, or your RV, in a storage unit or large parking lot.

Running a self-storage business can be a way to make money with few overhead. These businesses usually only need a few employees.

When you visit a self-storage lot, you will often find only the owner or one employee working there and very few customers. When no one is working, you simply enter and exit using a code.

Another similar idea is to rent out storage space on Neighbor.

Neighbor.com is a platform where you can rent out space to people who want to store their belongings, like boxes, furniture, or cars. On Neighbor.com, you can list your space, like your driveway, garage, or closet. It’s like Airbnb, but for storage. No one to stay with, just your belongings. Depending on the demand in your area and the type of storage space, you can make anywhere from $100 to $400 or more per month.

Recommended reading: How to Invest in Self-Storage for Beginners

8. Stock Photos

Stock photography is a great way to start a business that will eventually become self-sustaining. With this type of business, you take photos and upload them to a stock photography website. When someone buys your photo, you get paid.

Once you publish your photos online, you can sell them again and again.

Stock photos are used for a variety of purposes including websites, businesses, blogs, etc. Businesses use stock photos because sometimes they don’t have the resources to photograph everything they need. Instead, they can use stock photos to enhance the visual appeal of their content, website, or business.

Like many others, I use stock photos in my blog posts. In fact, all of the photos in this post are stock photos.

There are several well-known stock photo websites such as Shutterstock, iStock by Getty Images, Adobe Stock, and Dreamstime.

To sell your photos on these sites, you need to create a contributor account and upload your images following the site’s rules. Every time someone downloads your photo, you get paid a commission.

For a stock photography website, having high quality photos is very important, but so is having a larger portfolio: the more photos you have in your stock photography collection, the more income you have the potential to generate.

Recommended reading: 18 ways to get paid to take photos

9. Car Wash

Running a car wash business is a great way to make money with minimal effort. Automatic and self-service car washes are especially popular as they require less effort to manage on a day-to-day basis.

A self-service car wash is a place where customers pay a fee and use the equipment to wash their own cars.

An automatic car wash is where customers drive their car through a tunnel and a machine does all the washing.

Starting a car wash will be cost-effective in the long run. The machines can serve a large number of customers with very little human assistance. You will only have to service the machines and restock the supplies.

10. Write an eBook

Creating an eBook is a great way to generate a passive income stream. Writing and publishing an eBook can provide you with a steady income with very little effort.

Writing a book can provide a passive income because you only have to write it once and it can continue to earn you money for years. You might have to do some promotion to keep your readers interested, but the writing itself is a one-time effort, so the income can be passive over the long term.

You can also start by self-publishing your e-book and selling it on Amazon or directly on your own website.

11. Dropshipping

Dropshipping is a popular business model that allows you to sell products without holding any inventory: you simply partner with a supplier who will ship the products directly to your customers.

Drop shipping is a great option because it keeps your start-up costs low as you don’t need to buy inventory or rent a warehouse. This helps keep your start-up costs low.

Plus, it’s extremely flexible: you can run your dropshipping business from anywhere with an internet connection, which is great for people who like to travel or work from home.

With a dropshipping business, you can sell a variety of things, including t-shirts (print on demand businesses can do this too), home decor, mugs, kitchen tools, pet supplies, baby products, and much more.

12. Run a membership website

A membership website is a great way to run a business that runs almost automatically. With a membership website, users pay a recurring fee to access exclusive content and services.

They require work and maintenance, but they provide a regular income 24/7 without you having to actively work.

Plus, as more people join, your income increases without adding a lot of work.

Examples of membership sites include running a Patreon for a YouTube channel, a stock photography membership site, a paid forum, or an online school.

13. ATM business

If you want a low-maintenance business idea that runs almost automatically, you might want to consider an ATM.

ATMs are convenient because they require very little daily effort: once installed, you only need to check them regularly and replenish them with cash.

First, you’ll need one or more ATM machines (which typically cost around $2,000-10,000), find a location for them (convenience store, shopping mall, gas station, etc.), set up the ATMs (connect them to a network), and monitor and maintain them.

They make money through ATM transaction fees that are charged when people withdraw money.

ATMs allow you to make extra money without putting in too much effort, and although it takes a little effort at first, it can become a steady source of income.

14. Parking

Parking lots can be great businesses that operate largely autonomously.

People always need a place to park: in cities, near popular spots, at airports, shopping centers, etc. If you can find a good spot, parking can bring in a steady income with very little daily work.

All you need to get started is some land, and you can set up toll booths to collect tolls. Some parcels even use an app for payments, making the process easy for everyone.

And with the right setup, it will keep running smoothly, requiring only occasional cleaning and repair.

15. App Development

If you have technical skills, developing and selling apps is one way to start a self-sustaining business.

You can make money by creating your own apps, whether they are useful tools, fun games, or any other apps.

Although it requires some initial effort and investment, once your app is available on the app stores, you can generate revenue for 24 hours through in-app purchases and first-time downloads.

You can create a mobile app that caters to your specific needs and interests, such as a budget tracker, meal planner, fitness tracker, meditation guide, travel planner, and more.

16. Signboard

A billboard business is a great way to earn passive income. Once you have it up and running, it requires very little maintenance. You can also rent out your advertising space to businesses to advertise on.

Currently, installing new signs isn’t permitted everywhere, but in many places it’s possible to add a sign to your property or purchase an existing sign. Check your local laws for the details before you get started.

Billboards are a great self-running business as they require minimal maintenance. They just require regular inspections and occasional repairs. Digital billboards require more maintenance but can display multiple ads and increase your income.

17. Sell on Amazon

Fulfillment by Amazon (Amazon FBA) allows sellers to store their products in Amazon warehouses. Amazon handles shipping to customers, handling returns, and managing customer service on their behalf. This setup frees sellers from the hassle of storing inventory and dealing with delivery logistics.

While you still need to find products to sell, Amazon FBA allows anyone to earn money, even with no experience, by selling items like household goods, toys, books, electronics, and more through the platform.

Recommended reading: How to sell from home with Amazon FBA

18. Vending machine business

A vending machine business is a great way to earn passive income. With an initial investment and a little planning, you can start making money with minimal effort. Vending machines typically require minimal maintenance and low uptime.

You can get started with just $1,500 to $3,000, and you can also buy used or refurbished vending machines to save money.

Vending machines can be installed in high-traffic areas such as schools, offices, gyms, hospitals, etc. (With permission and consent, of course.) You may have to pay anywhere from 5% to 25% of your income to use the space.

Vending machines, for the most part, operate autonomously. The machines need to be regularly refilled and repaired as necessary.

A vending machine business is a clever way to generate passive income with very little hands-on effort. With the right location and products, you can make a steady profit.

Recommended reading: How to Start a Vending Machine Business – How to Earn $7,000 Per Month

FAQ

If you’re thinking about starting your own business, here are some frequently asked questions and answers that can help point you in the right direction.

How can you start a business where you don’t have to be there all the time?

To start a business where you don’t have to be there all the time, we recommend finding a business model that can be easily automated. Examples include an online store that uses dropshipping or print-on-demand services. These models allow you to automate order processing and inventory management, reducing the need to be involved in day-to-day operations. Other examples of businesses include running a laundromat, selling prints on Etsy, blogging, real estate rentals, and stock photography.

What are some of the top businesses known for making money while their owners sleep?

Some of the best businesses that are known to make money while their owners sleep are property rental, blogging, stock photography, drop shipping, ATMs, app development, selling online courses, etc. These businesses have systems in place that handle most of the tasks automatically, allowing you to make money with minimal manual management.

How do you achieve a self-sustaining business?

To run a self-running business, you need to try your hand at a number of different things: vending machines, ATMs, blogging, stock photography, drop shipping, etc. Then automate as much as you can or outsource the times when you need to do something (like refilling the vending machines).

What is the easiest business to start and run?

Some of the easiest businesses to start include dropshipping, vending machines, online stores with digital products like print materials, etc. These business ventures require low initial investment and minimal ongoing management, making them easy for beginners to start.

How do you find self-employed businesses for sale?

To find self-employed businesses for sale, look for listings on business for sale websites or contact a business broker. Many websites, such as BizBuySell and LoopNet, list businesses for sale. Be sure to research and vet a business thoroughly before purchasing it.

Self-managed business – overview

We hope you enjoyed this article on the best autonomously run businesses.

Examples of self-sustaining businesses include online businesses like blogging and affiliate marketing, where you can earn passive income by creating content or promoting products.

Offline options like laundromats and car washes are also largely self-sufficient and only require occasional maintenance. Another good example is the vending machine business: you just put the machine in the right place and let it do its job.

Running a rental business is another way to have a business plan that doesn’t require a lot of active time.

In my case, I have a business that runs largely autonomously with short working hours. I automated a lot of things to make this possible and worked long hours initially. I love having a self-running business because it means I have more time for other things in life.

What do you think is the best autonomously run business?

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