Automation is here, and it’s transforming the ways we do business.
Explore with me these 22 best automated business ideas that are changing industries, ranging from Youtube automation to automated email services. Leverage technology right, and you could streamline operations and unlock passive income streams that run on autopilot.
My best automated business idea for 2024 is affiliate marketing due to its low startup costs, high scalability, and potential for passive income. With minimal upfront investment, you can create diverse revenue streams by promoting various products online, reaching a global audience from the comfort of your home.
The flexibility to work from anywhere and the ability to leverage data for continuous improvement make affiliate marketing an ideal choice for those seeking financial independence and a dynamic, rewarding career.
My Best Automated Business Ideas
What Are the 22 Best Automated Business Ideas?
Here are the 22 best automated business ideas, based on my experience. Each of these ideas is simple to implement and can lead to a successful venture.
1. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing can be likened to a win-win partnership where you earn commissions by recommending products or services from another business. This automated business model can be quite lucrative, with some affiliate marketers making an average of around $56,141 annually in the US.
Success in this field relies on establishing a niche and becoming an authority within it, thereby increasing trust with potential buyers. Building a library of quality evergreen content can generate passive income over time as it continues to attract traffic and potential buyers.
Key Benefits
User-Friendly Interface: PartnerStack is known for its intuitive dashboard and ease of use, making it accessible for businesses of all sizes.
Comprehensive Analytics: The platform offers detailed analytics and reporting tools to track affiliate performance and ROI effectively.
Automated Payouts: PartnerStack automates the payout process to affiliates, ensuring timely and accurate payments.
Strong Support: The company provides excellent customer support, including onboarding assistance and ongoing help to optimize affiliate programs.
What is this Idea Best For:
- B2B SaaS companies looking to scale their affiliate programs.
- Businesses aiming to automate their partner and affiliate marketing efforts.
- Companies that want to leverage a network of reputable partners to increase their reach and sales.
Pricing
PartnerStack offers custom pricing based on the specific needs and scale of your business. Interested companies need to contact PartnerStack for a detailed quote tailored to their requirements. Pricing is based on several factors:
- The number of partners managed through the platform.
- The level of customization and support required.
- The volume of transactions and affiliate sales processed.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- User-Friendly Interface: PartnerStack is known for its intuitive dashboard and ease of use, making it accessible for businesses of all sizes.
- Comprehensive Analytics: The platform offers detailed analytics and reporting tools to track affiliate performance and ROI effectively.
- Automated Payouts: PartnerStack automates the payout process to affiliates, ensuring timely and accurate payments.
- Strong Support: The company provides excellent customer support, including onboarding assistance and ongoing help to optimize affiliate programs.
Cons:
- Cost: As a premium platform, PartnerStack can be expensive for small businesses or startups with limited budgets.
- Complexity for Beginners: While user-friendly, the platform’s advanced features might be overwhelming for those new to affiliate marketing.
- Custom Pricing: The lack of transparent pricing can be a barrier for businesses trying to budget for their affiliate marketing efforts.
- Limited to B2B SaaS: PartnerStack is primarily designed for B2B SaaS companies, which might not be suitable for businesses outside this niche.
Ready to elevate your affiliate marketing game? Discover the benefits of PartnerStack.
4 Ways to Earn Money with Affiliate Marketing using Partnerstack
- Promote High-Quality SaaS Products: Leverage PartnerStack’s network to promote top-tier SaaS products and earn commissions on sales generated through your affiliate links.
- Develop Content Marketing Strategies: Create valuable content (blogs, videos, social media posts) that highlights the benefits of the SaaS products you are affiliated with, driving traffic and conversions through your links.
- Use Email Marketing: Build and segment an email list to send targeted campaigns promoting your affiliate products, increasing the chances of conversions.
- Leverage Influencer Partnerships: Collaborate with influencers within your industry to promote the SaaS products through their channels, expanding your reach and earning potential.
2. Develop Mobile Apps
Developing and monetizing an app presents a sustainable income opportunity for tech-savvy individuals. Subscription models are famous for ensuring steady revenue with minimal cancellations.
Practical initial marketing efforts, utilizing social media, news outlets, and optimization techniques, are essential for App Store visibility.
Key Benefits
- Accessibility: Apps are easily accessible on smartphones and tablets, making them convenient for users on the go.
- Engagement: Mobile apps can engage users with push notifications, personalized content, and interactive features.
- Monetization: There are various ways to monetize apps, from in-app purchases to subscription models.
- Brand Presence: Apps can enhance brand visibility and loyalty by providing a direct channel to users.
- Data Collection: Apps can collect valuable user data to inform business decisions and personalize user experiences.
Pricing
The cost of developing a mobile app can vary significantly based on the complexity of the app, the development tools used, and additional services required. Here’s a breakdown of potential costs:
Development Tools:
- Tools: Xcode (for iOS), Android Studio (for Android), React Native, Flutter
- Pricing: Free for basic tools, additional costs for premium features or services
App Design Software:
- Tools: Sketch, Adobe XD, Figma
- Pricing: Free to $15/month for basic plans, $15 – $99/month for premium plans
Development Costs:
- Freelancers or Agencies: $5,000 – $50,000+ depending on the complexity of the app
App Store Fees:
- Apple App Store: $99/year developer fee
- Google Play Store: $25 one-time developer fee
Marketing and Promotion:
- Tools/Services: App Store Optimization (ASO) tools, social media ads, influencer marketing
- Pricing: Free to $50+ per campaign for promotions, $10 – $200+ per month for ongoing marketing
Maintenance and Updates:
- Cost: $500 – $10,000+ per year depending on the complexity and frequency of updates
Pricing Based On: Pricing is typically based on the app’s features, the technology used, the time required for development, and whether the app requires ongoing maintenance or updates.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Scalability: Apps can reach a global audience and scale quickly if they meet market demands.
- Passive Income: Once developed, apps can generate ongoing revenue without the need for constant hands-on management.
- User Engagement: Mobile apps have a high engagement rate as they are accessible from anywhere at any time.
- Brand Building: Apps can significantly enhance brand recognition and customer loyalty.
Cons:
- High Initial Investment: Developing an app can be costly, especially if it involves advanced features or requires a long development time.
- Maintenance and Updates: Continuous updates and maintenance are required to keep the app functional and relevant.
- Market Saturation: High competition in popular app categories can make it challenging to stand out.
- User Acquisition Cost: Marketing costs to reach the target audience can be high.
4 Ways to Earn Money with Developing Mobile Apps
- Subscription Models: Charging users a recurring fee for premium features.
- In-App Purchases: Offering digital goods or additional features within the app.
- Advertising: Integrating ads into the app can generate revenue from user engagement.
- Freemium Models: Offering the app for free and charging for advanced features.
3. Write an E-Book
The e-book market`s ongoing growth offers lucrative opportunities for passive income and establishing expertise. It also facilitates additional revenue streams like course sales.
- Effective marketing strategies include affiliate partnerships, podcast appearances, and sponsored blog posts, ensuring sustained exposure.
- Early positive reviews, particularly on platforms like Amazon, boost visibility and sales potential
- Leveraging online bookstores streamlines sales and distribution, with reader feedabck enabling future enhancements.
E-books serve as a standalone income source and complement other endeavors like blogging and affiliate marketing, forming a cohesive approach to revenue generation.
4. Software
Software represents the pinnacle of scalability and automation as it can be distributed to countless customers using the same underlying code.
Premium software tools can be marketed as either one-time purchases or through recurring monthly subscriptions.
- For individuals lacking the technical expertise to develop such products independently, collaboration with skilled partners or hiring professionals is a viable option.
- Alternatively, white-labeling existing software offers a shortcut to entering the market.
- The primary concern is to ensure a demand exists for the product being developed.
Platforms like AppSumo or ProductHunt can be valuable resources for gaining initial traction and visibility within the target market.
5. Build a Helpful Website
Engaging in online publishing has the potential for significant financial rewards. While the initial content creation demands substantial effort, the subsequent ranking on Google transforms the process into a semi-automated venture.
The beauty of this lies in the fact that profitability is not confined to the confines of a desk, allowing earnings to accumulate even when offline, with the capability to attract numerous visitors simultaneously.
For example:
- Scott Keller achieves a six-figure annual income from his bird-watching blog.
- Shelley Marmor generates $50,000 monthly through her travel blogs.
- Andrew Fiebert amassed over $1.2 million from his gift ideas site.
These successful ventures capitalize on monetization methods such as advertising and affiliate partnerships, which scale proportionately with website traffic growth.
6. Rental Properties
Owning rental properties can become a fully automated business when the right tenants and team are in place. However, it’s essential to acknowledge that numerous landlords have faced challenges and stress in managing their properties.
Dustin Heiner, a husband and father of four, began building his rental portfolio while employed in the county government. He achieved financial independence in his 30s through strategic management, generating a monthly cash flow of $15,000 from his properties.
Nevertheless, real estate side ventures encompass many options, including single-family rentals, commercial buildings, and raw land investments. Selecting a model that aligns with your goals and preferences is essential.
7. Sell Your Bandwidth
A recently popular app named Honeygain has been generating significant attention lately. According to its website, users can earn up to $30 monthly by sharing unused internet traffic with data scientists.
These figures are based on sharing a substantial amount of data, equivalent to 10 GB daily.
Once the app is installed on Windows, MacOS, and Android platforms, users can connect it to the internet and earn rewards automatically. On average, it takes users around 48 days to accumulate $20 in rewards.
Moreover, new users are offered a $5 bonus upon starting.
However, before diving in, it’s essential to ensure that you’re on an unlimited internet plan, as this app has the potential to consume a significant amount of bandwidth rapidly.
8. Product Licensing
Product licensing offers a distinct opportunity to generate passive income from your ideas by allowing others to execute them.
For instance, Nate Dallas and his brother earned $300,000 royalties by licensing a card game inspired by Pictionary to Mattel.
Despite being dentists and preachers, respectively, they could engage in something other than the design, production, or sales process themselves.
Instead, they identified a suitable partner to handle these tasks, enabling them to receive steady income without the associated workload.
9. Self Storage
Self-storage is a popular suggestion on many lists of fully automated business ideas, and it’s not without merit. The demand for self-storage is robust, with over 20% of Americans utilizing such facilities.
Moreover, advancements in modern tools enable the remote management of storage facilities, although a considerable initial investment may be required.
For those seeking a smaller-scale alternative, Neighbor is an online platform that facilitates the conversion of surplus space into income. This could include renting out parking spaces, sheds, garage storage, attics, or side yards.
Hosts utilizing Neighbor have the potential to earn thousands of dollars annually with relatively passive involvement.
10. Sell Stock Photos and Videos Online
Selling stock photos and videos is a great way to monetize your passion.
Here’s how it works:
Photographers/Videographers upload their images to stock photo and video platforms like
These platforms handle sales and distribution.
Photographers/Videographers earn royalties from the sales of their photos.
However, creating a successful stock photo and video portfolio requires strategy and attention to detail. Photographers/Videographers need to:
- Acquire model releases to avoid legal issues
- Maintain high-quality photos and videos
- Leave space for text in images
- Ensure pictures are free of brands or trademarks.
11. Print on Demand
Another enjoyable and automated venture suited for creative individuals is print-on-demand.
Print-on-demand offers a lucrative online income stream, allowing you to sell physical products without needing inventory management.
Here’s how it operates:
Upload your designs to platforms like Merch by Amazon or Teepublic.
When a customer orders, the platform handles the printing and shipping process on your behalf.
You earn a royalty for each sale made.
12. YouTube Automation
Tony Lysandrides manages multiple YouTube channels with a unique feature: his absence from videos. These videos with no face are created to get the most views.
Through a dedicated team of freelancers sourced from platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, and OnlineJobs.ph, his channel generates up to $14,000 monthly ad revenue from his “YouTube automation” venture.
His team consist of four key members:
- A researcher/scriptwriter is responsible for crafting video scripts.
- A voice actor who narrates the scripts.
- A video editor who assembles the videos, incorporating background music, stock footage, and animations.
- A thumbnail designer tasked with creating compelling thumbnails to attract views.
While Tony supervises the entire process to maintain video quality, the operation is automated mainly at this stage. If you`re interested in learning how to start a YouTube channel in 2024, understanding the structure of Tony`s team can provide valuable insights.
13. Sell an Online Course
If you’re an expert in a particular field, why not share your knowledge and make money while at it? Creating online courses enables experts to leverage their expertise and earn income through pre-recorded lessons and automated sales processes.
Automated platforms play a critical role in the success of online courses by managing:
- student enrollment
- course delivery
- payment processing
- scalability of returns
Platforms like Udemy and Skillshare offer built-in audiences, while others like Teachable and Podia offer extensive customization and marketing features.
14. Create Product Review Videos
Upon acceptance into the Amazon Influencer Program, you can earn income by crafting concise video reviews of products. Amazon showcases these reviews on the corresponding product pages and compensates you with a commission for every purchase viewers make after watching your video.
Once you have created your product review videos and have uploaded them, the process becomes entirely automated.
Moreover, I’ve encountered other individuals engaged in side hustles, earning up to \$2,000 monthly by sharing their perspectives on Amazon products.
15. Passive Investments
Fundrise offers a unique and innovative approach to real estate investment.
With a minimum investment of $10, you can begin constructing a portfolio comprising carefully screened commercial properties.
Are you interested in exploring other non-traditional investment options?
Check out these handy tools to discover additional alternatives:
One widespread, fully automated business concept is the dropshipping model, which can be equated to running an online store without the burden of inventory management.
In a dropshipping business, suppliers ship orders directly to customers, and entrepreneurs manage the business without touching the products themselves.
16. DropShipping
The focus is on working more intelligently rather than harder.
Non-technical entrepreneurs can effectively manage a dropshipping business using user-friendly tools like Shopify, WooCommerce, and automation software designed to handle product listings, order processing, and fulfillment.
With the technical aspects taken care of, business owners can focus on product design and marketing efforts and let the software take care of the rest.
17. Self-Publishing
Creating a successful blog entails more than generating passive income.
It requires initial effort in content creation, affiliate link management, and search engine traffic optimization. For a low-maintenance blog, opt for an evergreen niche with timeless information.
An evergreen niche, such as dating tips, ensures relevance over time, unlike subjects like tax strategy, which change annually.
Effective marketing, including SEO and leveraging platforms like YouTube, is crucial for attracting readers.
Income primarily comes from ads and affiliate programs, with the potential for expansion into product sales as your audience grows.
While consistent, quality content is essential, you can outsource writing tasks through Upwork or Fiverr.
Establishing an evergreen blog and assembling a supportive team can yield significant ad and affiliate revenue for years.
18. Printable and Spreadsheets
One of the most intriguing automated ventures I’ve encountered involves the sale of digital printables.
You can upload these files to online marketplaces like:
What makes this business model particularly appealing is that the delivery of files to customers happens automatically upon purchase.
Rachel Jones shared how she generated $10,000 monthly from her collection of printable. If you possess a knack for design and can respond swiftly to trends, there’s potential to attract a substantial customer base.
Similarly, Emily McDermott established a successful remote side business selling spreadsheets on Etsy, primarily focusing on budgeting templates. Her total sales exceeded $250,000.
19. Automated Email Campaigns
Automation tools act as secret weapons for successful marketing campaigns. They take the grunt work out of marketing, allowing businesses to focus on building meaningful relationships with their customers.
For instance, lead nurturing through segmentation and automation facilitates sending targeted content and converting cold leads into sales-ready prospects.
And it’s not just about lead nurturing.
Automating email campaigns offers several benefits, including:
Measuring marketing campaign results using KPIs like open rates and conversion rates informs the success of marketing automation.
20. Chatbots for Customer Support
Chatbots represent the future of customer service.
They provide fast, 24/7 customer service and instantly respond to common questions, offering prompt support even during peak hours.
These automated systems ensure consistent support by utilizing a unified source of information, which provides reliable guidance for customers.
Chatbots have several benefits for businesses, including:
- Improving self-service options by directing customers to helpful resources
- Assisting with questions about products, shipping, and checkout procedures, contributing to a smoother transaction experience
- Engaging customers at critical moments, reducing shopping cart abandonment during checkout
21. Automated Billing System
While the billing is vital to customer transactions, automation can significantly simplify it.
Automated billing systems ensure accurate and timely billing cycles, enhancing operational efficiency by reducing manual billing processes.
- Automated billing platforms can be customized to fit the ever-changing needs of growing businesses, allowing for scaling and diversification.
- Invoicing and payment processing are streamlined through automation, as these systems integrate seamlessly with databases and CMS and support recurring billing cycles.
22. Vending Machines
Vending machines represent one of the earliest fully automated businesses functioning as robotic entities that collect revenue without human oversight.
However, the primary hurdle lies in inventory management and ensuring machines remain adequately stocked, mainly when dealing with multiple locations.
Nonetheless, the prospect of returning to a vending machine brimming with earnings is a significant motivation for the person whose journey towards building a passive income empire commenced with a mere $36 investment in a bag of gumballs.
What is Automated Business?
Business process automation entails delegating your routine office tasks to technology and software.
An automated business utilizes these tools to accomplish various tasks, reducing the necessity for your direct involvement in repetitive daily activities.
- It requires minimal human intervention to generate income and enhances efficiency.
- Productivity by completing tasks more swiftly and effectively.
- This streamlined operation results in smoother functioning and long-term cost savings.
- Automation simplifies business information management, facilitating a smoother workflow.
- Implementing automation not only saves money but also helps generate more revenue.
- It’s like having an additional pair of hands, which optimizes business operations and boosts financial resources.
- Orders are processed, payments are received, and customers are kept informed without necessitating your oversight of every detail, minus human error.
With these tasks managed, you gain extra time to focus on priorities, whether spending time with family or pursuing other passion projects.
How Can Automated Business Benefit You?
Automation has become crucial for enhancing efficiency, reducing errors, and maximizing productivity.
Whether you’re a small startup or a multinational corporation, integrating automated processes into your operations can revolutionize the way you do business.
Automation is essential for boosting efficiency in business. UiPath, a leading platform for robotic process automation (RPA), streamlines tasks, enhances efficiency, and boosts productivity. Understanding what is UiPath is key to leveraging its capabilities for optimizing business processes.
Ecommerce automation, in particular, has empowered businesses to scale their online operations seamlessly, from inventory management to customer support, allowing for smoother transactions and increased profitability.
However, with the assistance of professional software integration services, many of the challenges associated with automation implementation can be mitigated, ensuring that businesses can reap the benefits while minimizing potential drawbacks.
Promoting Your Automated Business Online
You’ve got everything set up – now shout it from the digital rooftops. But smartly, though, we’re not talking spammy emails or yelling into social media voids here.
- Social Media Savvy: Choose platforms where your peeps hang out. Post engaging content and run ads if needed, but keep it accurate. Dive deeper.
- Email Marketing Strategies Magic: Build an email list pronto. Offer something valuable upfront in exchange for their precious emails.
- SEO Is Your Bestie: Optimize every piece of online content. Keywords are good; answering user intent is better.
- Get Creative With Content: Blogs, videos, infographics – mix things up. Keep providing value and watch the traffic roll in.
These are the steps to tackle your goals confidently. It’s time to plunge into action and turn our plans into reality.
My Experience with Automated Business
Implementing an automated business ideas process allows one to earn passive income while maintaining autonomy.
Automated businesses offer an ideal solution for individuals seeking income with minimal ongoing involvement.
Begin with modest steps, leveraging innovative automation tools and mobile applications to ensure seamless operations for your business ideas.
This approach lets you divert attention toward more enjoyable aspects, such as expanding your business or entering new ventures.
Embracing automation in your business processes yields mutual benefits, making it a win-win scenario.
FAQ
A fully automated business is one where all aspects, from sales to fulfillment, are managed by technology, requiring minimal human intervention.
“Write an e-book, design a digital course or create a mobile app, then sell them on platforms like Amazon, Udemy or the App Store,” Lofton said.
Once your product is up and running, it can generate passive income without much maintenance.
Business automation is a term for the use of technology applications that perform repetitive tasks, freeing up employees for higher value work. This includes business process automation (BPA), robotic process automation (RPA) and AI-powered automation.
Advantages commonly attributed to automation include higher production rates and increased productivity, more efficient use of materials, better product quality, improved safety, shorter workweeks for labour, and reduced factory lead times.
It’s possible for a home automation business to make $150,000 or more in profit a year, but keeping your costs low is key to that profitability. Any business will have operating expenses, but you’ll need to minimize those expenses within reason.
