15 Examples of Businesses That Run Themselves & Make Money

Imagine this: you’re living your life to the fullest without working. You earn while you sleep and make an income while you travel. You do everything but work, and you still earn from the businesses that run themselves.

Here are some examples of businesses that run themselves without you actively monitoring them:

  1. Laundromat
  2. Blogging
  3. Rental Business
  4. Ebook Selling
  5. Bounce House
  6. Private Parking Lot
  7. Bakery
  8. FedEx Route
  9. Establishing a School
  10. Self Storage Facility
  11. Billboard Rental Business
  12. Bread Route
  13. ATM Business
  14. Automatic Car Wash

Now I know what’s going through your head. You’re probably thinking, “How is that even possible?” It is! Let me walk you through the concept of self-running businesses.

I’ll explain 15 examples of businesses that can run without your involvement and how you can set them up and profit from them while you sit back and watch your money pile!

#1 Laundromat

Laundromat is a highly profitable and reliable business that you can run successfully with little or no effort.

You can be confident that you will not face financial difficulties when operating a laundromat business. Some people live in apartments and do not have a washer and dryer, so running this business will benefit you throughout the year.

Best part? — Laundromats make an average revenue of $25,000 per month.

And you won’t need much in the way of start-up capital; all you’ll need is enough to purchase the machines.

The best reason to start this business is how the laundromat business will run itself. By washing and drying the clothes, the machines will complete the task for you. And, because it is a self-service facility, people will load and unload their own clothes into the machine.

Although it is a business that doesn’t need much attention to flourish, it is still preferable that you visit the place every once in a while to check how things are going and earn your reputation.

I have written a separate guide on How much money laundromat owners make — Check it out!

#2 Blogging

How cool is it that a blog can be a business? Now don’t get confused: writing blogs isn’t a self-running business. Instead, there are ways to earn through blogging while you relax.

Blogging is now a booming business due to its effectiveness. One way you can get your business up and running without your involvement is to hire a freelancer.

Another option is to purchase an already established money-making blog. It is undoubtedly a business that can entirely run with almost no effort of yours. 

Hiring a freelancer is a great idea because you won’t have to commit to blogging full-time, and the person you hire will be able to look after your blog while also keeping an eye on traffic.

If hiring is not an option, you can benefit from a purchased blog. The work will be done for you by the previous owner, and the high-earning blogs will help you increase your profits. Your blog will pay you each time someone visits it.

However, I would advise staying away from some worst niches for blogging to make money.

#3 Rental Business

One of the most profitable passive-income businesses is the rental business. Rental businesses have grown in popularity in recent years.

You’ve probably heard of people living in rented houses. And that is what this business is all about! You can rent out a home, vehicle, or equipment. You can even gradually increase the rent.

Renting out your home can be highly profitable. You can earn a consistent income as a landlord simply by having someone live in one of your properties.

You can even hire a manager to look into the matter. The manager can find tenants, communicate with them, keep an eye on their living conditions, and ensure they pay their rent on time.

#4 Ebook Selling Business

The world is becoming increasingly digital, with increasing amounts of information available. You can run your ebook selling business while taking advantage of this situation.

The only way to generate a good profit and security for long-term growth is to; invest in new technology.

To begin, you need to hire a content writer to write a book for you. You can earn thousands of dollars once your books are published and sold. It is true that ebooks are now selling in the millions each year.

Based on how the world has evolved, the students will use ebooks on a single device rather than many hard books. As a result, it is a business that benefits both the seller and the buyer.

#5 Bounce House Business

I’m sure you would have enjoyed playing in bounce houses as a child- it looked like a lot of fun. We will never forget the excitement of jumping around in a bounce house with friends.

It is one of the self-running businesses you can start by knowing how much children look forward to birthdays only so they can play on bounce houses on their or their friends’ birthdays.

If you start this business, you can assign the labor-intensive parts to a trained individual you hire while you relax at home.

You can have your employees transport, install, and maintain the bounce house to meet your customer’s needs. Likewise, deflate the bounce house and collect the payment from your customers.

» Read my blog post: Are Farmers Markets Profitable? What You Need To Know

#6 Private Parking Lot

We can all agree how aggravating it is when we go somewhere and spend half of our time looking for a parking spot. People face the inconvenience of the difficulty of parking and finding an open space in the many public parking lots.

As a result, a public parking lot would be a more appropriate use of the space. And by selling parking spaces in their lots, lot owners can make a lot of income.

You can invest in a private parking lot to run a self-running business. Travelers will save time, and you will earn.

You can hire a trustworthy person to operate the lot on your behalf and ensure that every car parked there pays. You can even increase your profit by charging for each hour a vehicle remains parked.

It is undeniably a profitable business, and you will recoup your investment in a few months.

#7 Bakery

Running a bakery business is an intriguing idea. It is one of the best business ideas and is very financially viable, so you will definitely make a profit.

Your bakery can be self-running if you invest a little in bakers, a manager, delivery boys, and a nice interior and facilities to attract customers.

You, as the owner, will not have to visit the bakery every day; instead, you will invest, and the income will continue to flow to you.

Although you are not actively participating in the business, you can always suggest what bakery items to put such as cupcakes, cookies, etc.

#8 FedEx Route Business

Purchasing a FedEx route business is another terrific idea for a self-running business.

When you purchase a FedEx route, you are essentially acquiring rights for deliveries in a specific area. Route owners earn a commission for each delivery made within that territory.

You can hire dependable employees and drivers to ensure that deliveries are made on time and correctly. You can, in fact, own multiple delivery routes.

Although it is a simple self-run business, it may not provide the fully expected revenue of starting a business from scratch.

However, you will receive a regular income from profit collected from customers and commissions from the drivers who work for you.

I have written a separate guide on: Investing In a Truck For Passive Income (Without Driving)

#9 Establish a School

What a privilege it would be to be able to open your own school. It will benefit the students, as we all recognize the value of education. Besides that, it will also facilitate you as you sit back and earn a lot of profit.

Establishing a school will require significant capital, but believe me when I say it will be well worth it.

You will have to work hard at first to hire good teachers, find a vice principal who can act as a manager, build good classrooms, and brighten the campus. Then, when you finish your job, you’ll notice a consistent cash flow while you’re not even at school.

You must also ensure that your school has the most up-to-date facilities. All you have to do is sponsor the financial aspect.

You can even take control of the school funds by getting a group of supporters to donate them, apply for grants and awards, or solicit more corporate sponsors. 

#10 Self-Storage Facility

The name of the self-storage facility implies that it is a self-running business or an absentee business. It is a commercial enterprise dedicated to providing customers with safe self-storage facilities.

The storage units are self-contained and well-equipped for their intended purpose.

In simpler terms, it is more of a real estate business in which you rent out a warehouse to customers who require the space for various reasons.

Although it is a safe, secure, and well-managed setting, if something goes wrong, you, as the owner, will not be held responsible, which is the best part.

You won’t have to worry about liability because a reputable company that operates the facility ensures the physical structure.

#11 Billboard Rental Business

Renting out billboards is a simple business to start, and you should do it with enough cash to spare.

Billboards have become popular in many areas because they allow businesses of all sizes to promote and advertise without the expense of constructing a permanent structure. As a result, running such a business can be highly profitable.

The more billboards you own, the more money you’ll make!

A billboard rental business can generate income without requiring much of your time. However, it is not yet fully automated.

It will relieve you of day-to-day operations, but you will still need to oversee the business, find new customers, find the best possible deals in which you can make the best offers, and consider the payment period.

#12 Bread Route Business

A bread route business is very similar to a FedEx route business.

It covers a territory and allows you to sell bread to various retailers, stores, and houses. Bread route owners earn a commission for each delivery their trucks make.

You can hire drivers to help you with these routes. You can hold them accountable for picking up the bread from the warehouse, all packed and ready to go, and delivering it on time.

The rest of the business will take care of itself. It is a great business to invest in because you can earn a consistent income while increasing the value of your accounts.

#13 ATM Business 

The ATM business is partially self-running. You’ll have to visit the location every once in a while to ensure everything is in working order.

Running an ATM business allows you to place your machines wherever you believe they will be used frequently, such as banks and other financial institutions.

People can withdraw, send, and even use cash to recharge their phones. You will get paid for your services every time someone makes a transaction.

Each ATM route has the same goal: to ensure that your machine is operational. When the ATM machines run out of cash, you’ll have to restore them.

Another smart step is to collaborate with banks to get help loading the machines with your revenue, thus self-running your business entirely.

» This could also be something for you: How Much Can a Beginner Forex Trader Make?

#14 In-Bay Automatic Car Wash

I’m sure you’ve seen automatic car washes at gas stations. They are fantastic inventions that have made cleaning the inside of the car much more convenient.

As auto ownership increases and vacationing families start driving their cars to cleaner places, car washes have taken place in everyone’s daily routine.

You can make tons of profit by starting an automatic car wash business. With all the technology available to have everything cleaned automatically, car washes can make piles of money!

It is self-running, easy to use, and does not require any attendants. The car owner will pull into the bay, pay for the ticket, and the automatic machine will do the rest.

You can start a car wash business at any 24-hour convenience store, gas station, or other location.

#15 Vending Machines Business

A vending machine is a business you can rely on and trust to run smoothly. You may be dazzled by large sums of cash when setting it up, but a vending machine generates passive income and continues to function reliably regardless of the situation.

Vending machine owners invest in the machines and stock them with snacks and drinks. They have to set a cost based on the items they need to purchase.

The customers will buy from your vending machine. And you will be able to make a good profit from the process.

Some parts of the process will require your participation, such as restocking or collecting profit from the machine. You can, however, entrust this function to a reliable third person.

Vending machines are best effective for employees in offices, hotels, and hospitals.

You can even set up the software for your vending machine, which will notify you whether the vending machine is delivering good, bad, or zero items in real-time. And when it is time to collect the profit.

» You can also read my post: How To: Start an Ice Vending Machine Business (Easy Guide)

Conclusion

You can start your own business right now with these 15 brilliant ideas. What a dream it would be to have the time of your life while not running out of cash.

The best part is that you can strike a balance between your professional and personal lives. Alternatively, you can pursue your other interests and goals in life while running a side business that requires no effort.

About topworklife.com Hi' my name is Simon. I am the owner of Top Work Life. Together with a my team, I write content about income generating ideas, entreprenurship and growth as a person Read more about Simon & TopWorklife

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