710: 15 Things You Can Buy on Amazon to Make Money

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• Many low-overhead service-based side hustles, such as headlight restoration, dent repair, and window washing, can be started by purchasing specialized equipment on Amazon, often allowing for a quick return on investment.  Copied to clipboard!
• Successful marketing for service-based side hustles often relies on direct, localized tactics like door-to-door sales, building community rapport (e.g., joking about guard dogs), and leveraging local online profiles like Google Business.  Copied to clipboard!
• Rental businesses, such as mobility scooter or party inflatable rentals, offer a strong 'buy once, get paid repeatedly' model, which can be validated by gauging demand online before purchasing the physical assets.  Copied to clipboard!

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Sponsor Read: Gusto Payroll

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(00:00:00)

• Key Takeaway: Gusto offers all-in-one, remote-friendly payroll, benefits, and HR software for small businesses, simplifying tasks like tax filing and direct deposits.
• Summary: Gusto handles payroll, benefits, and HR, allowing business owners to focus on core operations. The software features automatic payroll tax filing, simple direct deposits, and support for benefits like 401k. New users can receive three months free by visiting gusto.com/slash sidehustle.

Intro and Headlight Restoration Kit

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(00:01:13)

• Key Takeaway: A $60 headlight restoration kit can launch a mobile service charging $50 per job, potentially yielding over $1,000 from a single bulk purchase.
• Summary: The first suggested product is a headlight restoration kit, which can be marketed by leaving flyers in busy parking lots, emphasizing safety and showing before-and-after results. With jobs taking only a few minutes, a side hustler could complete 10-15 restorations on a Saturday.

Paintless Dent Removal Kit

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(00:02:33)

• Key Takeaway: A $70 Paintless Dent Removal (PDR) kit enables a service charging $75 to $200 per dent, with marketing success found through partnerships with office park management.
• Summary: The PDR kit allows charging significant amounts for small dings or larger hail damage repairs. A key marketing strategy involves partnering with property management to advertise the service directly to tenants while they work.

Solar Panel Cleaning Kit

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(00:03:34)

• Key Takeaway: A $160 solar panel cleaning kit supports a service charging $100 to $350 per residential system, best marketed door-to-door with data supporting efficiency gains.
• Summary: The water-fed pole cleaning kit is used for solar panel maintenance, with services priced between $100 and $350. Door-to-door marketing is recommended, offering on-the-spot service while citing data on efficiency improvements (e.g., 17% more efficient after cleaning). Establishing a Google Business profile with job photos is crucial for review collection.

Window Washing Kit and Pitching

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(00:04:52)

• Key Takeaway: Effective door-to-door window washing sales require breaking the ice with humor, such as joking about guard dogs, to build rapport before pitching the service.
• Summary: An $80 window washing kit with a 24-foot extension pole facilitates reaching second-story windows. A successful pitch involves using humor to disarm homeowners, followed by mentioning work done for a neighbor and offering an immediate discount to create urgency.

Lawn Aerator Side Hustle

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(00:08:47)

• Key Takeaway: Lawn aeration is a profitable niche service, often yielding a quick ROI, and can be validated by renting equipment after pre-booking enough work to cover the rental cost.
• Summary: A $200 lawn aerator can be used for a service charging $100 to $200 per yard, breaking even in just one or two jobs. One smart validation method involves pre-booking a day’s work and then renting the machine, pocketing the profit after the rental fee.

3D Printing Business Models

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(00:10:17)

• Key Takeaway: 3D printing offers two main income streams: selling digital print files (create once, sell repeatedly) or selling physical prints, with niches like specialized car parts or cookie cutters yielding high revenue.
• Summary: The Bamboo Lab A1 Mini is highlighted as an affordable entry-level 3D printer. Success in selling physical prints depends heavily on the niche, with examples showing high profits from flexible toys or custom cookie cutters. Marketplaces like Amazon and Etsy are viable sales channels for physical items.

Sponsor Read: Shopify

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(00:14:29)

• Key Takeaway: Shopify is the commerce platform ready for high-volume sales events like Black Friday, offering templates, tools, and 24/7 support for e-commerce businesses.
• Summary: Shopify powers millions of businesses and handles e-commerce traffic reliably. It provides thousands of templates and tools to ensure a great-looking and functional site. New entrepreneurs can start with a trial at shopify.com/slash sidehustle.

Knife Sharpening Kit Business

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(00:15:40)

• Key Takeaway: Knife sharpening is a recurring revenue business with low startup costs (around $300 for an EdgePro Apex kit) that thrives by targeting both residential and B2B clients like restaurants and farms.
• Summary: The EdgePro Apex kit is recommended due to its versatility and capability for consistent, high-quality edges. Marketing starts with friends/family and a simple roadside drop box sign, later expanding to farmer’s markets and securing business clients like sheep shearers. Treating every client as recurring is key, as knives will always need re-sharpening.

Mobile Car Detailing Kit

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(00:19:39)

• Key Takeaway: Mobile detailing is a low-overhead, labor-intensive side hustle with a growing market, where essential equipment like a $120 extractor and a $40 shop vac quickly pay for themselves.
• Summary: A $170 detailing kit can lead to services priced between $200 and $350 per full detail, with many customers being first-time clients, indicating market growth. Key equipment includes a battery-powered pressure washer, a grit-guard bucket, and an extractor for interior stain removal. Securing recurring work through 3, 6, or 12-month plans and landing a dealership client ensures consistent income.

Gas-Powered Pressure Washing

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(00:25:00)

• Key Takeaway: Pressure washing offers quick ROI, often recouping a $300 equipment investment on the first job, and benefits from built-in virality as neighbors see the clear before-and-after results.
• Summary: A used or $300 gas-powered pressure washer can start a business that easily generates $3,000 to $4,000 monthly. Initial marketing can be as simple as a local Facebook page and yard signs stating, ‘We wash houses.’ The visual impact of the work naturally encourages neighboring property owners to hire the service.

Cotton Candy Cart vs. Ice Cream E-Bike

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(00:27:36)

• Key Takeaway: Mobile treat businesses offer impulse-buy revenue at events, with a $315 cotton candy cart being low-overhead, while a $5,000 ice cream e-bike offers a more serious, trackable mobile option.
• Summary: Cotton candy carts are ideal for farmers’ markets and private parties, generating feel-good impulse purchases. One operator was so successful she opened a brick-and-mortar location. The ice cream e-bike option, while expensive, allows for tracking via an app and securing private event bookings.

Entry-Level Foam Party Cannon

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(00:29:22)

• Key Takeaway: An entry-level $350-$400 foam party cannon allows testing the market at low risk, with early marketing focused on sending postcards to daycares, schools, and libraries in January for spring/summer bookings.
• Summary: This lower-cost cannon is suitable for testing the foam party business before investing in professional $2,500 setups. Early success came from sending 700 postcards to potential venues, allowing the owner to collect deposits and fund equipment purchases confidently.

iPad Photo Booth Business

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(00:33:22)

• Key Takeaway: The photo booth business is a ‘business in a box’ that can command a premium by differentiating through high-quality, customized branding rather than competing on low prices for generic props.
• Summary: The hardware setup costs around $550 plus an iPad, allowing equipment costs to be recouped in just a few events. Differentiation involves using luxurious backdrops and custom-made props, targeting event planners through networking events. The photo booth serves as a powerful, retained marketing tool for businesses.

Mobility Scooter Rental Validation

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(00:38:56)

• Key Takeaway: Demand for mobility scooter rentals can be validated by building a website and tracking inbound inquiries before purchasing any equipment, allowing for a low-risk entry into the rental market.
• Summary: A used scooter can be acquired for around $500, allowing ROI in just a few rentals at rates like $250 per week plus delivery. The key validation step is creating a website (e.g., LA Mobility Scooter Rental) and monitoring requests before committing capital. The business benefits from high demand in locations like apartment complexes with 100+ units.

Party Inflatable Rental ROI

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(00:42:45)

• Key Takeaway: Inflatable rentals offer a stronger ROI than real estate, with a $1,100 commercial-grade bounce house paying for itself in just 8-10 rentals at $120-$145 per day.
• Summary: The initial investment for a bounce house can be covered by a tax refund, with early customers often coming from family word-of-mouth. The primary concern for this business model is the potentially expensive insurance costs, which should be thoroughly investigated before purchase.

Vending Machine Location Strategy

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(00:45:09)

• Key Takeaway: The primary challenge in vending is securing high-traffic locations, which is often achieved by pop-in visits to properties with front desk staff and targeting locations with 100+ units or employees.
• Summary: While Amazon sells machines, going directly to manufacturers is better for financing options. Successful pitches involve asking property managers if they want to provide ‘modern amenities’ and qualifying locations based on foot traffic (e.g., 400 residents in 200 units). Modern machines with card readers capture 80% of sales, replacing outdated, unstocked units.