Cash Flow Businesses
Ask any successful business owner what makes the wheels on their venture go around and they’ll probably tell you that success is dependent on the people inside the business.
That doesn’t explain why so many home businesses with great minds behind it fail, however, so what’s really the secret?
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Cash flow.
Pure and simple.
The ideas listed in this article are known to generate a sustainable level of cash at a rate that will keep the engine fueled enough to become a success.
The question is – even if you could keep it there, how do you get the financial statements there? Which businesses financial activities offer the best odds of obtaining those sweet profit margins that every owner is after?
I’ve done some digging, and in this article from IBuyIReview, I’ll take you through some of the most popular cash flow businesses in the 21st century, including several up-and-coming business ideas.
These ideas have proven their worth time again, and you’ll even find one of my favorites listed here, which I’ve gone into self-employed full-time.
What Makes a Sustainable Cash Flow?
A sustainable cash flow is the lifeblood of any legitimate business. It requires a continuous stream of revenue from customers, not investments. Repeat customers are ideal for accurate projections of profits, but not necessary to achieve this constant revenue stream.
Beyond that, it requires an ability to scale with the business structure that is already in place. (1) If your business is able to scale, it can often scale the cash flow as well, providing a clear path to profit. Something that is equally important for obtaining investments.
Strong cash flow businesses don’t rely on chance or happenstance. They are often created in a location where the target audience is looking for those services and it fulfills a specific need, nearly guaranteeing – as much as possible – that the business will be successful.
Now, there is more to put into creating a cash flow than the idea and proper operations structure. The operation of the company build can also affect your cash flow. For example, the timing of payroll, employee salaries, and marketing efforts can impact profits and cash flow if the business is also dependent on clients settling invoices on time.
In many cases, a sustainable cash flow is an end-goal for many businesses. Startups rarely have a sustainable cash flow near the beginning of their creation.
What investors and experienced businesses will want to look for in these strong cash flow businesses, however, is the ability to sustain a cash flow once there is a reliable source of revenue.
The ability to hold a cash flow structure and operate in ideal ways will help improve a business’ credibility on a month to month basis.
But – that’s enough about that. How you build and operate a business is step 2.
Step 1 is learning about different businesses that will keep the money coming in.
You’re not here to learn about all the intricacies of business from home – you’re here to learn about business models that work.
Cash Flow Businesses That Will Keep Passive Income Flowing
There are several types of businesses that are ideal for maintaining a cash flow positive business.
In this list, there are a few specific business models recommended, but for the most part, they are instead organized into industries that are ideal for targeting.
These industries are hand chosen for their penchant for being highly lucrative, relatively low risk (depending on the specific business model) and above all, they are all legitimate ways to make money without scheming, scamming, or selling to friends and family.
Keep in mind, however, that any legitimate business takes some kind of hard work to achieve.
You won’t see results over night, but with enough effort, you will see results.
For me, I make all of my money by providing others with leads that help them thrive in the digital age.
Personally, that feels fulfilling, and I hope this list provides some insight into a business model that you can find equally as fulfilling.
Online Marketing (TOP CHOICE)
Of course, internet marketing makes the top list for this generation, but it’s not just any type of marketing that I’m suggesting.
It’s real, sustainable online marketing business practices that keeps the money coming while helping local businesses out. My favorite way to do this is through Google Ads.
By doing this, you can enter into any niche and create the assets you need for a killer funnel. Find a client, target customers most likely to want their services – in the area they service – and put your landing page up.
If the customer is interested, they’ll click on your ad and get routed to your client, who provides exactly the services they were looking for.
It’s a win-win for all sides, including the customer, and unlike some other business models, there’s no masquerading as a fake business that might get you busted, either.
If you want to learn more about this business model, I’ve included a section at the end of the article where you can find more details and get a free training demo to find out if its something you’re really interested in.
Why? Because I firmly believe there’s room in the ocean for two fisherman, and a lot of local businesses need help, with a large number of brick and mortars closing due to increasing competition.
Change up your career and be someone’s digital hero.
Finance
The financial industry is booming, and it has been for decades.
This industry is known as one of the more profitable industries that you could get into, but with a reputation for being the most lucrative comes with a competitive workforce and a higher bar for entry.
To create a business in the finance industry, you’ll need to think outside the box a loan might have you thinking in.
What makes your financial business unique?
If you’re not qualified for the conventional finance positions, is there a way you can help others in the finance industry with the skills you do have, or are capable of learning?
There are so many unique ways you can benefit an industry without being directly involved in it.
Of course, if you do have necessary credentials to fill a certain position, then that avenue is open to you, but it should be known that any new business endeavor is likely to be more competitive than simple getting a job with a pre-existing company.
Find a way to stand out in the crowd and solve a problem that your target clientele has.
Play your cards right and that ability to solve problems will have your clientele clamoring over each other to hand you money.
Niche Food
Especially in todays’ world, where more people are adventurous with their dining habits, niche markets are a fun and interesting way to cultivate your culinary habits while running a business on a loan.
Everyone needs to eat, and everyone wants to eat somewhere that is fun and exciting.
Unfortunately, this industry is also not known for spectacular profits, which can make cash flow difficult in the beginning.
The key to operating a business like this that does drive a cash flow as soon as possible is by honing in on your target market and ensuring there is demand for a niche-specific offering.
For example, what about a Korean cuisine café, or a creatively-designed coffee shop in an area where there’s enough foot traffic to support it?
A low-cost food niche might be a buffet-style restaurant, which provides some of the best profit across standard fare.
Location, marketing, and brand awareness are critical for this type of business to survive.
If you can’t pick a good location, however, food trucks are a new trend that is gaining popularity in several major cities.
Likewise, alternate cuisines are becoming much more popular in college towns, but not many businesses are accommodating them yet. Things like local-produce kitchens, vegan or raw bars, and bakeries that offer or are exclusively gluten-free.
A Statement on Real Estate and Rentals
If you’ve got enough cash to start a real estate or rental business, then you might be onto something big.
There’s a reason why real estate investing and house flipping have been known for their profitability for years. Since the early 2000s, investors have seen the housing market as something to watch closely.
While it has had its investing dips, it is still often profitable for those who own property.
Now, the real estate market is a tough cookie, and it can be exceedingly difficult to get your start in it.
Once you’ve managed the feat, however, you’ll quickly find that it is one of the best businesses for high profitability and reliable cash flow.
Depending on what you go into and how you structure the business, you could even achieve a high level of passive income.
Estate sales and rental also provides several tax benefits including capital gains, which can reduce your tax burden and provide an even greater end of year profitability.
Renting and leasing properties will require maintenance, but the tenant will often pay for the cost of maintenance several times over with consistent rent payments. This is a huge benefit if the property is paid off, as well.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
SaaS is a growing industry that is quickly becoming known in investing for its profitability, as there is no service or product being provided outside of digital assets, and potentially, customer service. Truly, it is a great way to earn passive income for this gen.
As a trendy business, I feel hesitant to mention it, but there really is no sign of the industry slowing down, especially as we become more reliant on technology as a population.
Even if you’re not aware of it, SaaS businesses exist all around you.
Google Drive. Netflix. YouTube. TurboTax. Credit card processing.
The list could go on for a while.
Suffice to say that SaaS isn’t going out of style any time soon, and it’s ingrained in almost every part of our daily lives.
By creating a business with a good idea in mind that solves the problems of your target market, you can not only reap incredible profits, but you could create a business that is cash flow positive in a decidedly short amount of time.
Service Businesses for Better Cash Flow
Services businesses are some of my favorite types of businesses to work with, because they know the value of good, hard work and securing valuable connections.
In any service business, once a customer discovers that you do good work, they aren’t likely to go anywhere else. Then, one happy customer at a time, you’ll accrue repeat business.
Repeat business is essential to your cash flow, allowing you to project profits and losses much more accurately than if you were in a business with a high churn rate.
Of course, service businesses are also highly involved, take time to create and network for, and require some level of skill in the type of service you are providing.
Once you have shown that you provide an amazing service, however, you can rely on word of mouth and testimonials to help you get the business going.
Unfortunately, you may discover that one of the main obstacles to starting a service-based business is market saturation.
Until you’ve made it big and navigated past harsh competition, it can be difficult to find a balance where you can break through the noise and effectively reach customers without investing in some serious upgrades.
This type of business does typically see a longer timeline before they sustain cash flow profits.
Float Retainer Based Services
There are so many retainer business models that you could easily find something you’re good at.
Several examples of retainer businesses include legal professionals, marketing strategists, consultants, and agencies.
In a retainer business, the client pays for future work up front, then the professional will use that to fund any expenses such as time or tools and materials to make the project happen when it is needed.
There is no guarantee in what the outcome will be. For example, a lawyer can’t guarantee that you’ll win your case, but they can be confident and do their best to help you win.
Likewise, there is no refund on retainer fees if the services are never needed, or if the work is completed with a lesser cost than what was initially projected.
Still, collecting payment up front is a great way to generate a positive revenue stream with consistent, passive wealth in a venture without credit.
In a retainer-based venture, there are options. There is no need to worry about negative cash flow due to paying employees or accessing tools and materials before the client pays you.
Non-payment is never an issue for your accounting, and clients often turn into repeat customers – or at least positive testimonials – if you are good at what you d
Ready to Start Making Money from Home?
Now that you’ve made it to the end of the article, you might be wondering what all the fuss about this new model is.
Not only is it my favorite model because of how scalable and sustainable the net cash flow is, but it’s a great way to expand your skills, touching a variety of aspects in marketing.
This is the same model that gets me $5k+ each month for the past few years just by maintaining a few ads and talking to local business owners every once in a while.
Once the ads are set up, it’s easy to maintain, and local businesses are happy to receive qualified customers for such a low risk per month.
Let me put it this way – if you were a local business and I offered to send a customer your way who wanted to spend $1,500 on your services in exchange for a nice and easy $100, would you take that?
You bet.
So why not be the person offering the customers?
This training even comes with several tried and tested done-for-you funnels to help get the customers the services they’re looking for. All you have to do is set it up and start running a cash flow positive venture.
It’s a legitimate business model, and once you put in a little bit of work, you can have something that really brings in the profits.
No knowledge of SEO, ads, or any other marketing techniques necessary.
Get a sneak peek of the training here and see if it’s the right choice for you:
- Mark Zwilling, 10 Tips for Building the Most Scalable Startup, https://www.forbes.com/sites/martinzwilling/2013/09/06/10-tips-for-building-the-most-scalable-startup/?sh=4b732e2a5f28
- Melinda Emerson, 9 Ways to Improve Cash Flow for a Small Business, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/9-ways-to-improve-cash-flow-for-a-small-business_b_59ed4f48e4b034105edd5008
I buy and review courses so you don’t have to. Sometimes, I even find courses that are legitimate and worthwhile; and that’s how I accidentally came across one that led me to building a 6-figure business in a little under 5 years. Now, I still review courses because it’s my favorite hobby. 🙂 Learn more about me here.
