- Blue-collar business ideas
If you’ve searched the internet for different businesses to start, chances are you’ve found thousands of ways to make money online. However, there may be an equal or greater opportunity to make money right in your hometown with a good old blue-collar business idea.
In this post we will break down:
What is a blue-collar business?
- A worker firm is a local service-based firm.
- These are companies where you (often) do manual work and get paid well for it.
- Few people realize all the jobs and chores around homes and businesses that people are happy to pay someone else to do so they don’t have to do it themselves.
- Demand for these services is growing in many markets, but they are usually not very glamorous or sexy, so many younger entrepreneurs avoid them.
- This means that if you have the skills – or want to learn them – you can quickly start a business and see results.
5 Benefits of Starting a Blue Collar Business
1. Low initial cost
Most of the handyman business ideas below have low start-up costs. They can be started quickly with the skills and tools you already have.
Anything else you need for your job can be picked up at most local stores.
2. The competition doesn’t have to be super tech-savvy
If you’re skilled with phone apps, you can find an entire untapped market with little competition willing to pay for your services.
There are many apps like Thumbtack or NextDoor that will connect you with people who are looking for your skills.
3. Simple launch and validation
It will be very easy to find out whether your business idea has a market in your area or not.
If you do great work for your clients, you can also market your business quickly through word of mouth.
4. Work with your hands
Blue collar businesses allow you to work with your hands and have the satisfaction that comes with completing a project.
5. You will quickly see your first income
With labor companies, you can do the work and get paid on the spot, which is great if you need a business idea or side hustle to generate cash flow quickly.
Also Read:-
Top 10 Highest Paying Government Jobs in India(2023)
Here are our top blue collar business ideas.
1. Cleaning the parking lot
Perhaps one of the most surprising and inspiring side stories I’ve heard comes from Brian Winch.
Brian started picking up trash in parking lots in the early 1980s before going to work.
Within months, he turned it into a full-time business.
Today, that’s over $600,000 per year of operation!
It’s a great business to build on top of other commitments you have and do in your spare time.
2. Sharpening knives
Side Hustle Show host Matt Rowell said he makes $30-$60 an hour sharpening knives in his spare time.
He taught himself, gathered the tools and started getting clients.
The best part?
Every home and many businesses have knives.
That’s a whole lot of potential business.
Matt was so busy he had to turn people away.
Learn more about Matt and how you can start a knife sharpening business!
3. Mobile details
If you like your car to sparkle inside and out, you can turn this skill into an income stream. For brothers Josh and Austin Belk, college students in Missouri, a hobby quickly turned into a business.
Through innovative local online marketing, they were able to grow their sales to $6,000 per month.
Their mobile detailing service can be done at the customer’s location, and Josh explained that for most of their customers, it’s the first time they’ve had a car detailed. To me it signals a growing market.
4. Cutting the grass
Sure, you could get customers to mow the lawn the old-fashioned way by driving around with a mower and knocking on doors, but that’s old school.
Enter GreenPal, best described as the “Uber for lawn care.”
GreenPal has more than 5,500 sales partners (lawn mowers and other garden care providers) in seven states across the region.
CEO Bryan Clayton explained, “Many of our lawn care salespeople are high school and college students who use our app in the summer to make money. Many younger sellers work with our app in the afternoons and on weekends, and it’s a perfect way for them to earn extra money.”
Additionally, Bryan said the average GreenPal dealer earns around $55 per hour mowing lawns on his system.
5. Lawn aeration
Separating yourself from the competition is what will help you stand out when you have other people competing with you for work.
- Ken Elshoff shared this story in the Side Hustle Nation FB group:
Consider aerating your lawn a side hustle!
My 16 year old went door to door last year selling grass clippings for his summer business.
This was not good because we realized that you are competing with every home owner because “everyone” has a lawnmower. So he got a lot of “no’s”.
However, what not everyone has is a lawn aerator! ANY homeowner can be a prospect when selling lawn aeration because very few own an aerator.
So he switched to aerating and watched a bunch of YouTube videos on how to run an aerator.
He printed a screenshot of a website from a local company that does aeration for $200.
He priced *his* service at $175, showing homeowners that his prices were cheaper than the “big boys.”
The only other item he had with him as a visual aid was a ziplock bag with some earplugs that we took from the high school football field after it was aired out. He used it to show homeowners what would be laying all over their lawns when he was done.
He continued to sell grass clippings door to door, but then he also offered them aerating, so it was a job he was already doing – he just added another service.
Six people (within a 4-block radius) agreed to hire him for airing.
We went to Home Depot and rented an aerator for 24 hours for $110 (including their insurance).
He did all 6 lawns in about 5 hours and after paying me the home storage rental fee (which I reimbursed him) he made $820 in one day’s work!
[If you’re calculating at 175 x $6, you’ll notice that a few customers with smaller yards negotiated it down a bit.]
Finding a way to add services is always a great way to increase your value and get paid more per customer.
6. Joint cleaning
Did you know that people will pay for grout and tile cleaning in their homes and businesses?
If you already enjoy cleaning, this could be a great business idea.
You can easily find the best ways to clean and protect grout on YouTube and other DIY sites, gather the supplies you need, and start promoting your new business.
According to HomeAdvisior, professionals charge $30-$50 per hour. Although it takes a bit of time to get the hang of it, it’s a nice plus.
7. Pressure washing
Pressure washing is one of those jobs that people like to do, but often don’t own a pressure washer themselves.
Sure, they could rent one, but then they also have to give up their Saturday to get the job done.
Even if you don’t own a pressure washer, you can rent a pressure washer and line up a series of jobs to make a profit even after paying the rent.
According to Home Advisor, the typical price range for a pressure washer is between $187 and $387.
Moreover, it is complete satisfaction!
8. Removal of pet waste
Picking up dog poop for homeowners may not be the most exciting business, but it can be quite lucrative. The initial cost is low and once you sign up clients, they are likely to be with you week after week.
The One Side Hustle Show host described charging $14-$20 per yard per week and attracting more than 80 repeat customers. She estimated it was $50 an hour part-time.
9. Flipping the flea market
Do you like to find a good deal? Do you have a knack for discovering treasures in a pile of junk?
You would probably enjoy starting a revolutionary business.
It is a very cheap business to start and there are many ways to get items to fill.
The One Side Hustle Show host has built a nimble business of $7,000-$10,000 in monthly revenue.
Want to learn more? Check out this free training on how to get started and make your first sale in just 2 weeks.
10. Cleaning the trash can
While most people enjoy garbage day because their smelly trash is collected and taken away, it can also have a downside.
You’ll be left with a smelly can!
A smelly can has the potential to attract all kinds of unwanted germs, pests and rodents.
Trash can cleaning allows homeowners to come home to a clean and deodorized trash can that they no longer have to worry about.
This is another great thing if you have a pressure washer.
Cost Assistant says a typical price can be between $10-$20 to clean a can.
11. Cleaning gutters
Jimmy Moncrief of Chattanooga Gutter Cleaning started his gutter cleaning business after hearing people complain about how they couldn’t get anyone to come fix the gutters on their house.
Since Jimmy already owned the necessary tools to do the job, he said he could do it and built a business around the gutters.
He was earning $1,000-$2,000 per month and was able to grow his business through referrals and Google reviews. He also started using a recurring plan of his services for some of his customers.
If you already have the tools and know-how to hang and clean gutters, this is a great low-cost business opportunity.
12. Cleaning service for households or commercial premises
Starting a cleaning business is a cheap way to make some quick cash. All businesses need someone to clean, and there are many people who would rather come home to a clean house than have to clean it themselves.
This gives you a great potential of leads.
Another benefit? If your clients are happy, it can be repeat business.
One Side Hustle Show guest was able to grow his janitorial business so that he is no longer even part of the day-to-day operations.
And the business grew to $60,000 a month in revenue in just 2 years.
According to Thumbtack, a typical hourly rate for cleaning services ranges from $25 to $50 per hour.
13. Flipping pallets
When you think about making money with pallets, your mind may start drifting to all the different items people are making with pallets from ideas seen on Pinterest.
But what if you could make money from pallets and never have to pick up a hammer again?
John Wilker from Birmingham, Alabama shares how he built a network of pallet buyers and suppliers. On the day we recorded, he made $1,600 before lunch — and he never needs to store any inventory.
14. Pool maintenance
The idea of having a pool in your backyard is certainly appealing, but if you don’t have one, you may not understand all the work that goes into keeping a pool in pristine, swimmable condition.
Pool maintenance is a must for pool owners who want to use their pools regularly – but it can be a hassle.
To start this business you need to make sure you know things like the right chemicals and make sure the water is at the right ph (some places may even require you to be certified). The advantage is that you can earn from 50 to 60 dollars per hour with this company.
Also Read:-
Top 6 Best Career Options In Future: In Demand Jobs Of The Future
Blue collar business ideas