26 Uncommon Business Ideas for the 2023 Recession

Check out these 26 uncommon Business Ideas for 2024 which can help you live on peacefully during the current economic recession.

The 2023 recession is hitting people’s life hard. Prices are going up like fire. It’s hard to keep up with the ever-changing economy.

Having only one stream of income is not a sustainable financial tactic for living a stable life. You must seek out some additional online business opportunities to bring an extra money home.

Nate O’Brien (an American investor, entrepreneur, and internet personality) shares with you 26 uncommon business ideas for 2023 to help you survive during the ongoing recession.

X Ghost Writing Business

X (formerly twitter) ghost writing business is a great opportunity for those who are passionate and skillful about social media marketing.

This business model involves pretending to be someone on X and tweeting on their behalf. You should understand your client’s goals and needs very well.

The opportunity lies in the fact that some people are willing to pay someone between $2,000 to $6,000 per month to tweet on their behalf.

Your target customers for this business idea are businessmen and entrepreneurs who want to grow their Twitter accounts.

Venture capitalists are one of the best potential customers for this business model. You can undercut the competition and offer the service for $1,000 per month.

If you get a bunch of high-quality clients, you can make up to $70,000 per year. X ghostwriting is pretty relevant to online blogging.

Custom Van Building

The custom van building business is a good fit for people who are good at carpentry or can use a hammer and screwdriver competently. The business involves building out the interior of a van for people who want to do van life.

There is a huge demand for this business opportunity as van life is becoming increasingly trendy. You don’t have to buy the van, you only need to build out the interior.

The profit per van can be upwards of $10,000. If you do one van per quarter, you can make over $40,000 per year. Doing one van per month can lead to $120,000 per year.

Flipping Cars

Flipping cars involves buying cars at auctions and then selling them for a profit.

This business opportunity lies in the fact that consumers don’t go to car auctions, and you can get great deals on niche cars that are in demand.

You can make a decent amount of money fixing up and improving cars’ conditions and selling them.

Flipping specific niche cars like old Jeeps or old pickup trucks can make you a full-time living or a side income of $10,000 to $30,000 per year.

Building and Selling Templates

Building and selling templates is a business opportunity for people who are good at creating templates. The business involves creating templates like Notion templates or Excel templates.

You can sell templates for a few dollars each on platforms like Etsy. You can make six figures by selling thousands of templates.

Once the templates are created, you don’t have to make them again, which means it’s almost all profit.

3D Printing Business

3D printing is a business opportunity for people who have a 3D printer. The business involves printing products for people who need them.

There is a lot of demand for 3D printed products, and people are willing to pay for them. You can make money by printing products for people on demand.

3D Printing

3D printing is a fast-growing technology that is only getting better. The industry has a lot of growth potential in all different categories.

Recently, 3D printing houses have become a reality, and it is a fascinating industry to explore.

Outdoor Offices

With the pandemic, office space at home became a trend. However, a big problem that many people faced was not having a quiet space to work from home.

Building outdoor offices is a solution to this problem. It’s a niche product that people who want an office at their house can use.

These outdoor offices are sheds with lots of windows and finished on the inside. They can be sold for a lot more than regular sheds.

This is a great opportunity for those with land to start this business.

Christmas Tree Farm

A Christmas tree farm is an interesting business idea. It takes time to grow, but it’s relatively passive.

It’s a great opportunity if you have any land. If you don’t have land, you can lease it from people. Christmas tree farms are great because they make money from watching trees grow.

Trucking Business

There are over two and a half million truckers in the United States.

Starting a trucking business and picking up very profitable routes can make a lot of money. It’s important to study the trucking industry a lot before considering jumping in.

There are possibilities of making upwards six figures per year or even millions per year if you have the right routes.

The trucking industry is very interesting, but it’s important to know the industry well before jumping in.

Catering Business

The catering business is an interesting business idea. It’s more predictable than other food businesses because contracts can be bid on and won.

Catering for wedding events, yacht parties, or schools can be a source of income. It’s important to understand that the food industry is tough, but the catering business is more predictable.

Campground

Starting a campground can make money on campsite rentals. Basic utilities in campgrounds can be rented for $50-$60 a night. Like footwear products.

It’s a lot more passive compared to running a hotel because you don’t have to hire people to clean rooms or make beds.

Interior Design for Wealthy Social Circles

People who are wealthy and have a lot of business friends or executives as part of their social circle can start an interior design business.

Interior designing can be a good opportunity for someone who has the right connections in affluent areas like New York, Los Angeles, or Dubai.

Designing a place like a $30 million penthouse in New York could make a person thousands of dollars in profit.

Interior designing requires someone who has knowledge of colors and materials, so wealthy people who don’t have the know-how would pay someone to design their houses.

Interior designing can be challenging to get into and requires the right connections.

Niche E-commerce Business Ideas

It’s challenging to start a generic e-commerce business and succeed. The key is to find a niche product or service that has high demand and little competition.

For example, flamethrowers were selling for $600 a piece and had a massive profit margin of around $300-$400 per piece.

Night vision goggles are another niche product that sells for thousands of dollars with little competition.

Finding a unique niche product that is going viral on social media can be a good opportunity to start an e-commerce business.

Starting a Notary Business

Starting a notary business can be a great opportunity for 2023.

Many transactions require notarization, such as transferring vehicle or home ownership.

Becoming a public notary is not that difficult, and the licensing requirements vary by state.

A notary business can be a side hustle that does not require a lot of time but can be profitable whenever a need arises.

Co-Working Spaces

Co-working spaces are communal workspaces that offer fast internet, free coffee, and other perks.

WeWork is a famous co-working space company that has had some significant problems.

Starting a co-working space can be a big ambition business that requires dedication and resources.

Co-working spaces can be a good opportunity in specific towns that are up-and-coming or reinventing themselves.

Building a community and making it fun for people can be a good way to attract customers.

Co-working spaces can provide fast internet and other amenities for people who live in remote areas or need a place to work temporarily.

Micro greens business 

Micro greens are in high demand and easy to grow. Cartons of wheatgrass can be sold for high prices. People willing to pay more for quality foods. They’re easy to plant and grow with decent ROI margin returns.

Printing business for political campaigns

Political campaigns need many printed materials. Bumper stickers can be sold in bulk for a decent profit.

You can also become the printer for other bumper sticker sellers. This is a good side business to run in your spare time.

Helicopter tour business

Helicopter tour is a great business opportunity. You can start without owning a helicopter.

Try to connect potential customers who want to go on flying tours with those who own helicopters. You should  understand that you do need a proper license to operate legally.

Launching products with influencers

Partner with influencers to launch products. Influencers can bring in a lot of customers.

Examples of successful launches include Bankroll Coffee with Graham Stefan and Happy Dad with Mila Kunis.

You can use cold outreach to connect with matching influencers to your business niche.

Selling survival gear

Survival gear is in high demand. It can be sold to people who are interested in prepping. Examples of survival gear include emergency food and water filters.

This is a profitable business idea if done and practiced properly through market research, product development, networking and marketing.

Junkyard business

The junkyard business is an obscure way of making money that can be profitable and is not commonly talked about.

A junkyard owner can acquire vehicles for free or at a low price and sell the parts for a higher price to people who need a specific part for their vehicle.

If someone acquires an old car for $100 and sells a specific part for $200 has doubled their money. A junkyard business can be a good way to make money, even though it is not glamorous.

Coaching and teaching skills

Uncommon Business Ideas for the 2023 Recession

Coaching or teaching skills can be a good way to make money during a recession. If you have a skill that you are good at, such as golfing or speaking a foreign language, you can offer it as a service and teach others.

Sites like Udemy and Skillshare can help connect you with people who want to learn your skill.

Coaching or teaching a skill that you are already good at can be an easy way to make money.

Tree removal service

Tree removal service is a business that requires physical labor but can be profitable.

The equipment needed for this business is not expensive, and you can make money by charging to cut down trees and removing them from the property.

You can also sell the wood for firewood, which is a way to make triple the money on each tree.

This is a good business to consider if you are looking for a way to make extra money on the weekends or after work.

Selling historical artifacts

You can make money by buying historical artifacts at auctions or yard sales and selling them on other sites.

This is a type of flipping, but it requires knowledge of history and the value of certain items.

You can make a profit by finding items with historical value that are undervalued and reselling them for a higher price.

Buying and selling antiques

If you enjoy history, you can buy antiques and sell them for a higher price later. Take your time to sell them and don’t rush things. You can buy an antique desk, use it, and then sell it for double the price you paid for it.

Buying equity in small businesses

You can buy equity in YouTube channels, blogs, and other small businesses.

This involves taking a lot of risk, but it can pay off if the business becomes successful.

You can provide the person running the business with a salary in exchange for equity in the company.

Equipment rentals

You can rent out equipment that people may not want to buy, such as log splitters, excavators, or heavy machinery.

Start small with equipment like lawnmowers and gradually build up to larger equipment. This is a great way to bootstrap yourself into a multi-million dollar business.

Executive Coaching Business

Becoming an executive coach is a great business idea for the 2023 recession.

Executive coaches help CEOs, executives, lawyers, doctors, and anyone who is very busy and has a lot going on in their lives optimize their time.

People who hire executive coaches are looking for ways to optimize different aspects of their lives, such as their relationships, family, health, and work.

Executive coaches are useful for people who are stretched too thin and may not have the time to address all their needs.

People who are gifted with understanding how humans operate and how to optimize life in general would be well-suited to this business.

Rapping Up

In a fast-moving world, change is taking place in every business industry. New business ideas are evolving and brand-new job opportunities are created.

Study, plan and start executing. That’s all you want to take advantage of newborn business opportunities. Because if you don’t, someone will take it.

Just kickstart your business adventure. Experience, fail, learn and improve gradually along the way.