11 Profitable Low Cost Business Ideas for Felons

If you’re eager to start your own business and put your past behind you, then check out our 11 profitable low-cost business ideas for felons.

Fitting into society can be quite difficult. Even as kids, people around us, our parents, friends, and teachers start directing us into a becoming something they want us to be, and we are not supposed to have a saying in this matter. It’s simply the way life is, and we are supposed to accept the fact that we must do our best to fit in, to be successful, to set an example for others, etc. This can be so overwhelming that sometimes people just snap and then cannot go back to the way they were ever again.

Now I can only imagine how hard it is for a felon to fit into the society after jail. People tend to judge for many things and most of them are not even worth mentioning. But being a felon and trying to move on with your life can be a tiresome process and one you need help with. The world sees you in a different way if you’re committed for a crime, and they probably will not trust you in any way. Finding your place in the world again can cost you quite some time and patience, but you must be persistent because as Oscar Wilde once said: “Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future”, so you can’t give up on your future.

One of the greatest problems felons are facing once they’re out of jail is finding employment. What are your chances of finding a job in a society that resents you and still sees you as a criminal? Chances are pretty slim, we won’t argue with that, and as harsh as that sounds, it is important to accept the truth so that we can move on to something more realistic. Now, if you have been struggling to find work as a felon, perhaps you need to be more open-minded and think outside of the box. If you can’t find a job, why not create one? And by that, I mean why don’t you start your own business? It is not as difficult as it sounds, you just need to do a few things first. What is your talent? What is it that you can do best? You need to think about this first and once you figure it out, then you can move on to the next part of the plan because why settle for a lousy job when you can actually create the perfect positions and never have to go through the humiliating process of rejection ever again?

We wrote about Low-Cost Business Ideas for Introverts, and we discussed some great possibilities for starting a business. Today we will do the same but we will focus on an entirely different issue so we searched through My Top Business Ideas and Trade Schools.   We know that it’s hard to get back on your feet once you have served your jail term. That is why we decided to help you by suggesting some splendid business ideas so that you can become independent. Of course, before deciding on something you must check with the security authority in your country to see what kind of business you can legally start. We ranked the ideas according to the startup cost so let’s take a look at our 11 profitable low-cost business ideas for felons. 

11. eBay or Etsy Sales

So many people are earning money by selling things online and most of them do it on eBay or Etsy. You can buy things from thrift stores and then sell them for more money on eBay. This is a great way to run a business from home and earn a decent amount of money. The startup cost cannot be determined so easily which is why it ranked last on our list. As it depends on how much money you are willing to spend on buying things and what sorts of products do you wish to sell, we cannot know the exact amount. But you can start with a small number of things and see what happens.

10. Dog Trainer

Animal lovers may find this profitable low-cost business idea for felons quite interesting. If you do like being surrounded by animals, especially by dogs, then why not consider becoming a dog trainer? Completing an apprenticeship, formal training or some sort of certification is a great plus if you want to start this business, but you don’t need to rent a place to train the dogs as you can travel to your clients’ homes. Startup costs are minimal, but you do need to check about the business license in your state. Tuition for the Pro Dog Trainer-Core Skills at the Catch Canine Trainers Academy costs about $1,025-$1419 or $99 per month.

9. Lawn Care

Startup cost: $1000+

If you’re skilled at this or you have the desire to learn how you can consider taking care of lawns for a living. Starting a lawn care business can cost up to $15,000 or more if you buy all new equipment but you can buy used equipment instead and spend far less money. You would need some kind of marketing so you can make flyers or choose some free alternative like Facebook. Let’s se what’s next on the list of profitable low-cost business ideas for felons.

8. Photography

Startup cost:up to $1000

If you’re good at taking photos or you’re eager to learn how to do it, this can be quite a profitable business. For the beginning, you don’t have to rent a studio and invest a lot of money. You can start by setting up a page on Facebook or creating a website. If you already have a camera, then that’s great because your expenses are minimal. If you don’t have any equipment, then you’ll need up to $1000 to buy a good camera. Once you start getting clients, you can rent a studio and further invest in the business.

7. Graphic Design

Startup cost:up to $1000

This is another one among the other profitable low-cost business ideas for felons. You don’t have to go to a fancy school or pay an expensive tuition in order to become a graphic designer. You can actually learn how to do it by yourself, so you a degree is not required. Of course, if you want to, you can get a formal education. Graphic designers are in demand so it’s very likely that it will pay off in the future.

6. Web Designer

Startup cost: up to $1000

Being a web designer is one of the great profitable low-cost business ideas for felons because the demand for web designers continues to increase. This is great news for you if you have any interest in learning how to do this, or you already have experience with it. Huge amounts of money are not necessary if you wish to start a web designing business, as you can use your home as your office. But you will need to register as a sole proprietor in order to get the business going.

5. Breeding Chicken

Startup cost: about $600

Although some people may argue that breeding animals can be quite expensive, this is not entirely true. Plus it’s one of the best profitable low-cost business ideas for felons. Raising chickens, for example, can be quite cheap if you buy small chickens first as they cost about $3-$5 each. You can buy as many as you want, or as many as you can feed until the business starts paying off. It usually does not cost more than $15 for 3 chickens per month. You need a coop for chickens that you can build on your own to save money or you can buy one for about $500 on average, but as soon as you start selling eggs, you can get your money back. You may want some information regarding this business so you can find it here.

4. Online Consignment Store

Startup cost: up to $500

Another great profitable low-cost business ideas for felons is to open an online consignment store. The positive side is that you don’t need to buy any inventory as you’ll be selling other people’s clothes and stuff and then get a commission when a sale is made. Basically, you run a website that sells stuff on behalf of their owners. For this business, you need to create a website and you must obtain a business license for which the price varies depending on the state.

3. Delivery Service

Startup cost: about $500

If you don’t have a lot of money to invest in a business idea, then delivery service fits great into your budget, and plus its’ a profitable low-cost business ideas for felons. There are so many things that you can deliver so you can decide what you want to do, but you don’t need much for the beginning but you also post an ad in the newspaper to tell people that you’ll be happy to deliver whatever they need. You can start with just a car, and later when the business starts going well, you can consider expanding it. So if you already have a car, there’s no need to worry about the finances.

2. Dog Walking

Startup cost: $0

If you like dogs and you don’t mind spending walking them around every day, this can be a great business idea for you. People need someone to take care of their pets all the time as they are too busy to do it themselves, so you can offer your services to people in your area. You don’t need to invest anything unless later you wish to expand the business.

1. Writing

Startup cost: $0

We included writing in our 11 profitable low-cost business ideas for felons because it truly is one of the best ways to earn money and be independent. Provided that you’re a skillful writer, you can start a freelance career and work from home. It is an enjoyable job where you don’t have to worry about background checks. It is a profitable business idea because all types of business and online magazines need fresh content every day so this is your chance.