Boring Businesses: Simple Ways to Make Millions (Seriously)

When you think about making serious money, like, hundreds of millions of dollars, what comes to mind? Tech startups? Wall Street? Maybe some flashy new app? Well, what if I told you it might actually be much simpler than that? In fact, it could be as straightforward as finding a “boring business” – one that might not sound glamorous but is absolutely essential – and then committing to it. This isn’t about chasing the next big trend or trying to invent something entirely new. It’s about understanding fundamental needs and building solid systems around them. Let’s explore some of these often overlooked cash flow powerhouses and how you might just turn a seemingly mundane idea into a massive success.

Property Oriented Businesses: The Allure of Passive Income (Mostly)

When people dream of making money, especially that elusive “passive income,” they often think of businesses where physical assets do most of the heavy lifting. These are what we might call “property oriented businesses.” They can be quite appealing because, on the surface, they seem like an easy way to generate cash without constant hands-on effort. Let’s look at a few examples.

ATM Businesses: Cash in on Convenience

Imagine a business that could potentially make you anywhere from $1,000 to $100,000 a month and only takes a few hours to operate. Sounds pretty good, right? In some cases, people have turned small investments, even just $2,000, into millions with this model. Take the story of “Mr. Allen,” a former police officer who started his ATM business back in 2018. He wasn’t looking to quit his job immediately, just supplement his income. He bought his first ATM for about $2,100 and placed it in a local nail salon. That single machine, believe it or not, generated him $500 in profit every month. Encouraged by this, he slowly expanded, adding more ATMs in different locations. By 2021, he owned over 30 ATMs nationwide, pulling in over $10,000 a month in profit, which allowed him to retire from his police job. Today, his company reportedly earns over $8 million a year and even helps others start their own ATM ventures.

What was smart about his approach? He didn’t go all in at the start; he kept his day job. He found a specific local opportunity where he had a connection. And when he did expand, he did it gradually, proving the model before scaling. The real keys to success in the ATM business are location and consistent maintenance. If your machine runs out of cash or breaks down, it’s not making money. You need a solid system for restocking cash and fixing issues promptly. You also need to keep negotiating to ensure your machines stay in prime locations.

• Low Entry Barrier: Can start with a small investment (e.g., $2,100 for one ATM).
• Scalable: Can gradually expand from one machine to many.
• Key Success Factors: Strategic location and diligent maintenance (cash restocking, repairs).
• Potential Profit: Single machines can generate significant monthly profit (e.g., $500/month).

Laundromats: The Steady Spin Cycle of Cash Flow

You can’t really talk about cash flow businesses without mentioning laundromats. According to industry publications, they boast an impressive 95% success rate, which is almost double the national average for most businesses. Why are they so appealing? Well, everyone’s looking for that elusive passive income, and laundromats, on the surface, seem to fit the bill perfectly. You find a good location, install some machines, people come, wash their clothes, you collect the money, and your work is done. You pay for the building, the water, the utilities, and you can, supposedly, “set it and forget it.”

But here’s the thing: if it sounds too good to be true, it often is. Laundromats can be a great investment, but you’re still responsible for maintaining all those machines. They break down. You have to collect the money, ensure a safe and clean environment consistently, and, most importantly, have the right location. People won’t choose your laundromat if it’s not convenient or in the right area. While they can be profitable, my experience suggests that scaling them often requires more capital than people initially realize. That’s a potential downside.

• High Success Rate: Reported 95% success rate, significantly higher than average businesses.
• Perceived Passive Income: Appears low effort once set up.
• Key Success Factors: Excellent location, consistent maintenance of machines, cleanliness, and safety.
• Potential Downside: Scaling can require more capital than anticipated.

Equipment Rental: Lending Out Your Assets for Profit

This business idea came to me during a moment of crisis. We were opening a new plant, and our air compressor broke down during a difficult time. We were told it would be weeks before a new one arrived. Without it, our operations would grind to a halt. I scrambled and found a local rental company that had a diesel air compressor. I paid them $500 a day to rent it, but it was absolutely worth it to keep our business running. That’s when I really started looking into the equipment rental business.

Companies across the country, every single day, need a piece of equipment they don’t own. This is where the opportunity lies. If you have that equipment in stock, in working order, and ready to go, businesses will pay a premium to rent it daily. What’s even better is that it can be incredibly tax efficient. If you buy a piece of equipment for, say, $100,000, and you rent it out for $60,000 over the year, you might be able to write off 100% of that $100,000 against your income. That could make the $60,000 you earn effectively tax free. With current trends like increased manufacturing, the demand for equipment rental is likely to grow.

But it’s not a walk in the park. You’ll have equipment to maintain, and you’ll need to figure out the logistics of getting that equipment to customers in a timely manner. These are solvable problems, but they require effort. My advice? Start small, learn the ropes, and don’t go all in on day one.

• High Demand: Businesses often need specialized equipment for short periods.
• Premium Rental Rates: Customers pay a premium for immediate access to equipment.
• Tax Efficiency: Potential for significant tax write offs on equipment purchases.
• Growth Potential: Market trends (e.g., increased manufacturing) suggest growing demand.
• Challenges: Equipment maintenance and logistics are crucial.

Service Based Businesses: Leaner Starts, Bigger Upside?

While property oriented businesses are great for making thousands, if you’re aiming for millions or even billions, service based businesses might offer more upside. They typically cost less to start and can be incredibly scalable if you play your cards right. In fact, if you skip traditional college and go to a trade school, I genuinely believe starting a service business could be one of the smartest ways to become a millionaire.

HVAC Services: The Essential Home Comfort Business

A few years ago, I decided to put this playbook into action. I had already built my air filter business to a decent size, but I saw the massive opportunity in service based businesses. So, I partnered with a friend and started our own service business in the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) space. The beauty of a service business is how “capital light” it is – you don’t need a huge upfront investment in physical assets. What it *does* take is knowledge and strong systems to scale.

That’s why, if I were starting out with limited funds, I’d go to trade school, really learn the HVAC industry inside and out, and maybe even work for a successful HVAC company for a while before striking out on my own. If you have the expertise and can offer a high quality service at a fair price, you’ll find a scalable business model. The key is to start locally, become the best in one small community, build your systems around that, and then slowly expand. Social media has completely changed the game for reaching local communities, yet many local businesses are still spending millions on outdated marketing like billboards. The attention has moved, and if you can tap into that, you can find a scalable business.

The hard part about service businesses is that they can be easy to start, which means it can be hard to stand out. But when you do, the rewards can be substantial.

• Capital Light: Requires less upfront investment in assets.
• Knowledge & Systems: Success hinges on expertise and efficient operational systems.
• Local Focus: Start small, dominate a local market, then expand gradually.
• Modern Marketing: Leverage social media to reach local communities more effectively than traditional ads.
• Challenge: Easy to start, but difficult to differentiate and stand out.

Emergency Tow Truck Services: High Margins, Niche Focus

I’ll never forget when I first came back to my hometown to start my air filter business. I looked around at the local industry, and honestly, there wasn’t much that jumped out. But then I noticed one of the richest guys in town. He was this unassuming country guy who probably didn’t graduate eighth grade, but he was incredibly successful. And his business? Emergency tow truck services. If your car broke down on the side of the interstate, he was the guy you called.

But he was even smarter. He realized the real money was in towing 18 wheelers. On a long stretch of highway, he was basically the only person in the area with the specialized equipment needed to quickly tow a big truck. This was a high margin business, and he could pretty much name his price. The beauty here is you don’t have to start big. One truck, one service area. You buy the truck, start advertising, and you’re in business. To scale, you just add more trucks and expand your service area. The downside, of course, is the equipment cost, maintenance, and finding qualified, rated drivers. It’s not easy, but it’s certainly scalable.

• Niche Focus: Specializing in heavy duty towing (e.g., 18 wheelers) can lead to high demand and less competition.
• High Margins: Specialized services often allow for premium pricing.
• Scalable: Expand by adding more trucks and service areas.
• Challenges: Significant equipment investment, maintenance, and need for qualified drivers.

Waste Management: The Unsexy Billion Dollar Industry

Not enough people, I think, talk about the fact that there’s an $80 billion “boring business” you could start today: waste management. Think about it. Every home, every business, needs their trash picked up. It’s a constant, recurring need.

Take the story of “Mr. Davies,” who started his waste management company in 2007. He began by managing small local waste companies, then aggressively expanded through over 100 acquisitions. His big break came when his company won a major city trash collection contract, beating out much larger competitors. Under his leadership, the company grew from a small local business to a multi billion dollar empire, now serving customers across a continent with tens of thousands of employees. Today, it’s a publicly traded company, recognized as one of the top waste management firms.

Is trash collection an easy business? No. There are environmental concerns, and lots of large players already in the market. So, how would you get started? I’d suggest studying your local market. What’s missing? Maybe the current service only picks up once a week, but there’s demand for twice a week. Or perhaps a different pickup day. That little angle, that unmet need, might just be your gateway to a multi billion dollar business if you play your cards right.

• Massive Market: Essential service needed by every home and business.
• Recurring Revenue: Consistent, predictable income stream.
• Growth Strategy: Can scale through acquisitions and winning large contracts.
• Challenges: Environmental regulations, intense competition from large players.
• Entry Strategy: Find an unmet local need or service gap.

The Cash Flow Checklist: Principles for Success

Regardless of the “boring business” you choose, there are some fundamental principles that can guide your success. These are like a checklist to ensure your business is built on a solid foundation and has the best chance to thrive.

1. Start Lean and Master the Process

The first step has nothing to do with how much money you make, but how much you spend. Consider the story of “Mr. Johnson,” who owns a window cleaning business. What tools did he need to start? A squeegee, a bucket, and some soap. That’s it. He started cleaning windows for a bank, and today, his business does $10 million in revenue with 40% net margins, clearing $4 million a year. This is a perfect example of a boring business.

The value of starting lean and doing the processes yourself is immense. Later, when you want to scale and build systems, because you’ve worked in the business and know its pain points firsthand, you’re able to create systems that truly solve those problems. I can say from my own experience building my air filter business, which now has a thousand employees, there isn’t a single job in any of our factories or processes that I haven’t personally done. This deep understanding is invaluable.

• Minimal Initial Investment: Start with essential tools and low overhead.
• Hands-On Learning: Personally perform tasks to understand pain points.
• System Building: Use firsthand knowledge to create effective, scalable systems.

2. Validate Your Idea Before Going All In

People often tell stories about businesses that take months to get their first sale. But the truth is, most successful businesses have models that allow them to get up and running fast. For my air filter factory, I actually had customers *before* I even started manufacturing. How? I began by “drop shipping” filters. The margins were very low, and I made almost no money in the early days. But I did it to keep my risk low and to prove out my business model. Only after I was convinced I had a system that could repeatedly get me new customers consistently did I take the leap and invest in the manufacturing process.

This approach significantly lowers your risk. It might delay your market entry by a couple of months, but it keeps your risk effectively at zero. You can apply this to almost any business if you’re creative. If you have a service idea, think about creating a landing page, running some Google ads to it, and seeing how many people click to buy. If there’s interest, maybe you find someone else to deliver the service initially. You’ve validated the idea, and you know whether you have a system that will consistently bring in business.

• Proof of Concept: Validate your business idea with minimal risk before major investment.
• Low Risk Entry: Use strategies like drop shipping or lead generation to test the market.
• System Validation: Ensure you have a repeatable customer acquisition system before scaling.

3. Focus Locally Before Expanding

This is a critical step for competing effectively. Think about Domino’s Pizza. When they started in the 1960s, they didn’t try to conquer the world. They focused on just one college town in Michigan. The founders learned exactly what local students wanted: fast, affordable pizza delivered right to their door. They tailored their menu, hours, and delivery processes to fit that specific local community. This “hyperlocal” focus allowed Domino’s to perfect its delivery model and customer service before it ever thought about expanding. The lessons learned from serving one neighborhood became the foundation for building a global franchise. Even today, Domino’s are often run by local operators who truly know their neighborhoods, helping them stay competitive and responsive to local tastes.

It highlights how important it is to be local when building a cash flow business. A common mistake I see is people trying to expand too quickly. If you spread your resources too thin early on, you’re likely to lose focus and ultimately fail. You are far better off focusing on a narrower customer segment, whether that’s a super local community or a specific customer type, and really perfecting your systems there before you even think about expanding.

• Hyperlocal Focus: Start by dominating a small, specific geographic area or customer segment.
• Perfect Systems: Refine your operations and customer service within that narrow focus.
• Gradual Expansion: Only expand once your model is proven and your systems are robust.
• Avoid Overstretching: Spreading resources too thin too early can lead to failure.

Key Takeaways and Summary

Making significant wealth doesn’t always require inventing the next big tech gadget or navigating complex financial markets. Often, the path to millions lies in what are considered “boring businesses” – essential services or property oriented ventures that fulfill consistent, fundamental needs.

We explored various models, from the surprisingly lucrative ATM businesses and the steady cash flow of laundromats to the high demand of equipment rental. On the service side, we looked at capital-light but scalable options like HVAC services, niche emergency tow truck operations, and even the massive, recurring revenue potential of waste management.

The common thread among these successes isn’t flashiness, but adherence to a few core principles. First, start lean and get hands-on with every aspect of your business to truly understand its pain points. Second, validate your business idea with minimal risk before making large investments, ensuring you have a repeatable customer acquisition system. And third, focus intensely on a local market or specific customer segment, perfecting your systems before attempting to scale broadly.

These “boring businesses,” when approached with commitment, strategic thinking, and a willingness to master the fundamentals, can indeed be the gateway to substantial and sustainable wealth. It’s about finding a consistent need and serving it exceptionally well, often right in your own backyard.

Key Important Points:

• “Boring Businesses” are Profitable: Essential services and property oriented ventures offer significant cash flow potential.
• Property Businesses (ATMs, Laundromats, Equipment Rental): Can generate passive income but require attention to location, maintenance, and logistics.
• Service Businesses (HVAC, Towing, Waste Management): Often capital light, highly scalable, but require deep knowledge and strong systems.
• Start Lean & Learn: Begin with minimal investment and personally understand all aspects of the business.
• Validate Before Scaling: Prove your business model and customer acquisition system with low risk before significant investment.
• Local Focus First: Dominate a niche or local market and perfect operations before expanding.