If you’re a regular guy and looking for business ideas that line up with your interests and skills, you are in the right place.
In this article, we are going to discuss 30+ business ideas specifically suited for men. What’s more, these ideas can be perfect for beginners in the industry who have no special degrees or experience.
Some of these ideas are traditional (like trucking businesses, car washes, landscaping businesses and security guard businesses), while others are unconventional (like starting a twitch channel or a sports betting business). I think you’ll find an interesting mix of ideas that you won’t find anywhere else.
Without further ado, let’s get into it!
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and complete a transaction, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
The information contained in this post is for informational purposes only. It is not a recommendation to buy or invest, and it is not financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. You should seek the advice of a qualified professional before making any investment or other decisions relating to the topics covered by this article.
The information contained in this post is for informational purposes only. It is not a recommendation to buy or invest, and it is not financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. You should seek the advice of a qualified professional before making any investment or other decisions relating to the topics covered by this article.
Mobile Car Wash Business
Love the satisfaction of taking a dirty, worn-out looking car and transforming it into a sparkling and pristine looking set of wheels?
Then starting a mobile car wash may be the perfect business for you. The best part is that you can buy all of the equipment you need (including a pressure washer) for less than $250!
Not only are your start up costs low, your ongoing costs are too. You can start from home and don’t need a physical storefront (that means no monthly rent, no employees to man the store, and just generally fewer overall costs).
If you want to learn more about starting your mobile car wash business, check out my full article on the topic here.
I provide a step-by-step guide to getting started, including a full equipment list that will run you just under $250. Now, if you’ve got a bit more money to spend, you can start an in-bay automatic car wash and make potentially a lot more more (more on that later).
Sports Betting Business
If you love sports, you can get into the highly lucrative sports betting world by starting a sports betting business. I am sure you have heard of the big players in this space, like Fan Duel and Draft Kings.
Due to advancements in technology, you can start an online sports betting business pretty easily. There are plenty of betting software options you can choose from and it’s a lot easier to set this type of business up than it used to be. One thing that is a must is an app – you will need to offer your customers an app so they can place bets on the go and at their convenience.
Of course, you will need to confirm the legality of this type of business in your country (and state, if applicable) and comply with any licensing requirements for your jurisdiction.
Start a Twitch Channel
If you are obsessed with gaming, then starting a twitch channel can be a great business to start. And yes, this can be turned into a legitimate business. In fact, the top twitch channels generate millions of dollars per year. A simple Google search of “highest paid twitch streamers” will confirm this.
Now, you will need to gain viewership and be compelling enough to make people subscribe and donate, so it’s not an easy hill to climb. But if you love gaming and think you have what it takes to be a success on Twitch, it’s certainly worth a shot.
Valet Parking Business
Another great business idea for men is a valet parking business. If you’re a car guy, you get to deal with cars all day (and the occasional Rolls Royce or Ferrari may pull up to the hotel).
The great thing about this business is that the start-up costs can be modest compared to other businesses. You don’t need to invest in a lot of expensive equipment (just some good valet parking stands). You also don’t need to operate a large retail storefront, or purchase a lot of pricey inventory.
What you will need are reliable employees and really good insurance to cover accidents and other claims (as well as healthy reserves to cover claims that aren’t fully covered).
If you want a complete guide on how to start this business, check out my article on How to Start a Valet Parking Business in 7 Simple Steps.
Gutter Cleaning Business
Gutter cleaning can be a low-cost business that is easy to start and is another business that can be started without an office or storefront.
If you have a working vehicle, the right equipment, and are physically able to handle the work, you can start making pretty good money through this largely recession-proof business.
Want to learn more? Check out my step-by step guide to starting a gutter cleaning business. It includes a step-by step guide to getting started and has a full equipment list that clocks in at under $550.
Trucking Business
If you enjoy driving and don’t mind operating large vehicles, a trucking business can be perfect for you.
There’s a wide range of businesses you can start in the trucking sector. I have divided them up into categories based on the type of truck you will be operating:
Semi-Trucks
Semi trucks are the kings of the road and you will need a commercial driver’s license (CDL) if you plan on operating one. Semis (with trailers) are usually used for long-haul trucking, so you will likely need to get your own trucking authority (which involves significant paperwork). But the payoff can be handsome – successful trucking business owners can easily clear six figures. Source
If you want to learn how to start a semi trucking business, check out my article on how to start a trucking business with just one truck.
Box Trucks
Box trucks are much smaller than semis, but they can still carry significant cargo. If you have ever rented out a U-Haul or Penske truck, you are familiar with box trucks already. Depending on the type of box truck you are getting and amount of cargo you will be transporting (weight matters), you may not need to get a CDL for your box truck.
Because of their size, box trucks can navigate city streets a lot better than semi-trucks, so they are often used for deliveries within urban centers. They are a lot easier to drive and cheaper than semis, so can be a good choice for beginning your trucking business.
Want to learn more? Check out my full article on how to start a box truck business.
Vans (Cargo and Passenger)
Moving further down the size and difficulty scale, we go to vans. There are basically two types of commercial vans: (i) passenger vans; and (ii) cargo vans. Either can generate significant money for you. With passenger vans, you are transporting people, so you will be operating something similar to a group taxi service. With cargo vans, you will be moving loads, so you will be operating more like a freight transportation business.
In my mind, vans hit the sweet spot if you are a total beginner because you can drive one without any special licenses and they still have decent carrying capacity. I also love the different ways in which you can operate your business with a van. If you prefer interacting with passengers, you can do that. If you want to deliver loads without a lot of customer interaction, you can do that too.
If you are interested in learning more, check out my article on How to Start a Transportation Business with One Van [Beginner’s Guide].
Pickup Trucks
Pickup trucks are also a super-versatile option and affordable to boot (especially if you buy used). They also drive pretty much like a car, so almost anyone can operate one. If you are looking for the easiest trucking business to start, a pickup truck-based business is the way to go. The great thing is that you can still make very good money from this type of business.
According to Ziprecruiter, the national average income for pickup truck owners is approximately $94,000 per year, which is roughly $45 per hour!
If you want to learn more about how to start a trucking business with your pickup truck, check out my article on How to Make Money with Your Pickup Truck [9 Ideas That Work].
Dump Trucks
Another great option is starting a dump truck business. While this is more involved than some of the other options (you will be operating a vehicle that is large and will be hauling a lot of material), you can earn a decent amount of money doing it.
According to Payscale, a dump truck owner-operator can make between $39,000 to $200,000, with the average base compensation landing at $97,174.
If this seems interesting to you, check out my full article on How to Start a Dump Truck Business [Beginner’s Guide].
Landscaping Business
If you can mow a lawn, you can start a basic landscaping business.
You will need some equipment to get started, like a lawnmower, lawn edger and a vehicle to transport your equipment from place to place. Of course, once you have some success, you can expand your services to include tree and brush trimming, mulching, lawn fertilization, weed control, leaf blowing and flower planting.
Make sure you get your business on Google (check out Google My Business) so people can find you when searching for “landscaping services near me.” You can also find customers using platforms like Angi, Yelp, Homeadvisor and Houzz.
Security Guard Company
If you have a background in the military or law enforcement, a private security guard company is a great business that can leverage your existing skills and experience.
What I like about this business is its relatively low starting costs. You’ll need some uniforms and firearms (if you are operating an armed security service) to start, but your biggest ongoing costs are going to be payroll and insurance (and rent if you are going to have an office).
The key is to find enough contracts with business who want to use your service and hiring the right people as your guards.
Speaking of payroll, there are a lot of legal and compliance intricacies associated with managing payroll, so you will want to use someone who knows what they are doing to manage it.
There are tons of payroll service providers out there, so go with someone who is reputable and offers a fair price. I use SurePayroll for my business. They are affordable, reliable and a well-known player in this space.
Dumpster Rental Business
Another great business for men is a dumpster rental (aka roll-off) business.
You are going to be dealing with some large vehicles and equipment, so you should be comfortable doing this if you plan on driving the dumpsters to the site and picking them up. If you want to expand quickly, you will also need to find and hire qualified drivers who can roll off the dumpsters without causing damage.
If you want to learn more about this type of business, check out my article on How to Start a Dumpster Rental Business.
Freelancing
If you are interested in starting a business where you can use your skills around the house, you can start a freelancing business where you do odd jobs, such as painting and handyman work.
The best thing about this type of business is that you can start it on the side while you are still working full time. If it takes off, you can easily expand by hiring helpers. And with the emergence of the gig economy, there is no shortage of websites where you can offer your services and get customers.
For more information on the easiest freelance jobs (that require no experience) and how to market your freelance services, check out my article on the topic here.
Start a Blog
One of my favorite businesses is blogging.
I think you already know what a blog is, so I won’t bother explaining beyond this: It’s just a website that contains articles (for example, this is a blog). You can write about anything you want. There are plenty of blogs that discuss sports, personal finance, men’s health, cars, gaming, and countless other topics.
You make money with a blog when people read articles and get exposed to ads. Those advertisers pay you for “impressions,” which is just a fancy way of saying a reader saw the ad for a short period of time. They do not need to click on the ad – merely see it.
There are other ways to make money on your blog, such as affiliate marketing (which is when you promote a company’s products and get paid if a reader clicks on a link and buys that product). Some blogs also sell courses or books to make money.
What I like most about blogging is that you can basically start for free (so there is almost zero financial risk) and the ongoing costs are also negligible.
If you want to learn how to get started, check out my article on How to Start a Blog From Scratch.
I cover all of the key areas you need to know, including how to set up your website and most importantly, my best tips for writing great articles, getting traffic to your blog, and monetizing that traffic.
If you don’t have the time or inclination to do this on your own, you can hire a service to create a website for you. Make Lemonade is a UK based firm that specializes in this.
I have used their content writing service to help me expand my blogs when I was running short on time, but they do offer a full service model, where they will create your website for you from start to finish and include content that has gone through their rigorous keyword research process.
Check them out here if you want to learn more.
Start a YouTube Channel
If you prefer video as your communication vehicle, then starting a YouTube channel can be a great business to start.
Again, you don’t need a huge budget here. You can even start with using your phone’s camera to record videos and upload them on YouTube (although you will probably want at least a cheap tripod to hold the phone).
Once you create the content, the passive income can begin, but getting there can take a lot of work. Creating a quality video is not easy. And like blogging, getting traffic to your channel can be a challenge. You have to create informative (or at least entertaining) content and have compelling titles, and great thumbnails. You also need to understand how YouTube’s search algorithm works.
But if you can sort through these things and gain traction on your channel, you can make a ton of money through this platform.
Write and Sell eBooks
If you like writing, but blogging is not for you, you can write an eBook.
Once it is written, you can get royalties from selling it online. Amazon KDP (which stands for Kindle Direct Publishing) is a great place to do this. Another option is Apple Books.
If you don’t like writing but do like the idea of receiving royalties on eBooks, you may want to consider creating “low” or “no” content books and selling them on Amazon KDP. This is a real thing and they can sell well. These low content books can be journals (diaries), coloring books, guest books, music composition notebooks, planners, quote books, etc.
If you want a complete guide to making money with eBooks, check out my article: Making Money [Passively] Writing eBooks: A Simple 5-Step Guide.
FedEx Routes
Did you know that you could own a FedEx delivery route?
If you buy one, you will make money for each delivery made within the territory that you bought. There is a really vibrant marketplace for these routes and this type of business can be very profitable. What I like about it is that it can also be run passively. Many owners don’t actually do any driving – they have a fleet of vans or box trucks and their drivers do the work.
If you want to learn how to buy a FedEx route in 5 easy steps, check out my article on the topic here.
Bread Routes
Like a FedEx route, you can buy a bread route that covers a territory. I am talking about selling major brands like Pepperidge Farm, Sara Less, Wonder, Nature’s Own, etc. to huge retailers like Walmart and Target.
Here’s how it works.
Once you own that territory, you can sell bread to the various retailers in that area and pocket a commission for each sale. Best of all, you can have drivers run these routes for you and operate this as an absentee-run business.
To learn more about getting started in this business, read my article on Buying A Bread Routes for Passive Income.
Vending Machines Business
Owning a vending machine route can be an amazing business to start.
You just place vending machines in high-traffic locations and make money every time someone buys something from your machine. The cost to get started varies, with a simple gumball machine costing only around $200 to a more expensive vending machine running between $3,000 to $5,000.
Still, that’s far less expensive than most businesses and it’s a terrific way to start generating some stellar cash flow.
The only part of this that requires some work is restocking and collecting money from the machine, but you can easily outsource this function.
For more details on how to start a vending machines business, check out my Beginner’s Guide to Start a Vending Machine Route for Passive Income.
Another interesting variation of this business is an ice vending machine business. This type of business is better in some ways because you don’t have to worry about restocking as much and the money can be really good (although the start up costs tend to be much higher). Check my article on How to Start an Ice Vending Machine Business for more details.
ATM Business
Like vending machines, this type of business involves placing ATMs in high traffic areas and receiving a fee every time someone makes a withdrawal.
You can get started on a pretty small budget. The average new ATM costs between $2,300 to $3,000.
What’s great about ATMs is that they are even simpler to operate than a vending machine route. There is only one type of inventory you need: cash.
Most operators run their routes replenishing cash in their machines as needed, which is like a 15 minute job per ATM. But if you own a ton of ATMs and want to outsource this, there are armored car services that can restock your ATMs with cash for a fee.
If you are interested in finding out more about ATM businesses, check out my Beginner’s Guide to ATMs for Passive Income.
Start an eCommerce Business
When it comes to e-commerce, Amazon is king.
So it’s a good idea to use the incredible platform that Amazon offers to start your online merchant business. You can sell anything on Amazon, including any variety of men’s products, such as vitamins, supplements, work out equipment, men’s grooming tools, watches, you get the picture.
If you have expertise or interest in running a retail business, check out Amazon FBA.
Amazon FBA lets you operate your business in a much more passive way because Amazon handles all of the “fulfillment” which includes payment processing, storage and delivery of the product, and much of the customer support (including a lot of the refund process). You just need to order the product and have it shipped to Amazon’s warehouse.
If this sounds interesting to you, check out my article on How to Make Passive Income with Amazon. I cover FBA as well as 8 other strategies that you can use to make money with this e-commerce giant.
Real Estate
If you love the idea of owning and managing a tangible building, then a real estate business may be right for you. I own nine rental properties and this type of business generates serious money for me each month.
What’s even better is that rental properties are generally very stable investments and can be semi-passive investments. For that reason, many people hold on to their rentals for decades. It’s a terrific way to generate high returns over the long term, without huge stress or massive effort.
If you want to learn more, check out my article on How to Get Started Investing in Rental Properties.
Self Storage Business
Want to own a profitable and passive real estate business where you don’t have to deal with tenant complaints, broken toilets, and the usual hassles that come with managing rental properties?
The unmanned self-storage unit facility may be the perfect passive income solution for you. With this type of self-storage operation, you can enjoy a combination of high returns and low maintenance, all wrapped in the security of a business that has a success rate of 92%!
To find out more, check out my article on How to Start a Passive Self-Storage Business.
Merchant Cash Advance Business
If you want the chance to earn incredibly high profits (upwards of 100% APRs in some cases) while offering a much needed funding option for small businesses that need cash fast, then starting a merchant cash advance business may be the perfect business for you.
A merchant cash advance (MCA) business lends money to small businesses and gets paid back with interest (but in the MCA world it’s not called interest, it’s called the factor rate) by taking a piece of the merchant’s future credit card sales. So as the business makes sales, you get paid back your “loan” with significant profit on top.
If this sounds intriguing, take a look at my article on How to Start a Merchant Cash Advance Business in 4 Simple Steps.
Laundromat
Laundromats are a great business if you are looking for a relatively passive way to make money.
After all, the machines are doing the hard work of washing and drying the clothes (with your customers doing the work of loading and unloading the clothes). You just need to have a repair tech on call to take care of the machines when they break down and someone to clean the laundromat each day and handle the occasional customer issues that may arise from time to time.
To learn more, check out my article on How to Start a Passive Laundromat Business in 6 Easy Steps.
Billboard Rental Business
Another business that can generate a fairly passive income stream is billboards. After all, if you own a portfolio of billboards and have rented out the advertising space, there’s really not much for you to do. You just collect checks.
Of course, it is not totally passive because you will need to find new advertisers as existing leases expire, but the day to day hassles are almost non-existent. Compare that to a retail storefront (or even an online business where you have to manage inventory, handle customer complaints, etc.)
For more information about this type of business, view my article on Billboards for Passive Income.
Bounce House Business
If you have kids, you probably have seen how kids are almost inexplicably drawn to bounce houses. So it’s no surprise that parents are willing to pay up to rent them out for special occasions, like birthdays and other celebrations for their kids.
You can capitalize on this by starting a bounce house rental business. The starting costs can be modest and it is a pretty simple business you can run on the side.
To read more about how to get started, check out my article on Starting a Bounce House in 4 Easy Steps.
Automatic Car Wash
Here’s another solid business choice for the guys. You can start an in-bay automatic car wash. We talked about mobile car washes earlier, but if you want to go a little bigger (and earn more), this type of business may be right for you.
These types of car washes are usually unattended and you often see them at 24-hour gas stations, convenience stores, etc. People just pay for their ticket, pull their car into the bay and the machines do the rest.
If you are interested in this type of self-running business, check out my beginner’s guide on how to get started with a passive automatic car wash.
Start a Small Car Rental Business
Sticking with the car theme, you can start your own car rental business on Turo.
Now I am not talking about a fancy car rental company like Hertz or Avis. You can get this business off the ground with one car. You can even rent out your existing car on the weekends when you are staying home or otherwise not using it.
Once you figure out how to use Turo and are comfortable with the process (it’s actually pretty straightforward and much of the coordination with the customer happens online), you can start expanding. You can buy a car just to rent it out on Turo. I have seen people in my area who own dozens of cars and use Turo to operate a real car rental business.
To learn more about Turo and this type of business, check out my article on the topic here.
Korean BBQ Restaurant
Love barbequing? Many guys find it enjoyable. There’s something deeply satisfying about operating a grill and hearing the crackle of meat over an open flame and the scent you enjoy when grilling up some deliciously charred meat.
Did you know that Korean BBQ restaurants allow their customers to barbeque their own meat at their table? It’s an interesting concept and one that is gaining popularity quickly in various urban centers in the US (and worldwide). You may have even seen one in your neighborhood!
If this sounds interesting to you, check out my article on How to Start a Korean BBQ Restaurant.
Conclusion
So there you have it – more than 30 great business ideas for men (and links to help you get started). Hope this has been helpful and best of luck in your entrepreneurial journey.