If you love the outdoors, then the thought of sitting behind a desk in an office probably doesn’t sound appealing. Still, you have to make money, right? After all, living in outdoorsy places or enjoying especially outdoorsy pastimes doesn’t always come cheap. So why not work outdoors? To get the creative juices — and money — flowing, we’ve come up with 20 bankable outdoor business ideas. Outdoor businesses are perfect for individuals who enjoy spending time outside a traditional office environment. There are many exciting rewards to having your own business and enjoying the great outdoors. Read on to learn about 20 great outdoor business ideas for entrepreneurs.
Organize a Children’s Summer Camp
Summer means lots of free time for kids, and that means a lot of parents looking to fill that free time with the perfect summer camp. When it comes to organizing a summer camp for children, the opportunities are endless. For example, will your camp be a day camp or a sleep-away camp? Will it provide kids with a variety of activities, or focus on one particular thing such as soccer, hiking, or art? Just keep in mind: A sleep-away camp, or camps offering activities that can be considered more dangerous for kids might require further legal and insurance requirements.
Start an Adventure Club
If children aren’t your thing, but adventuring is, consider starting an outdoor adventure club. Depending on where you live, the size of your group, and how far your club is willing to travel, activities can include:
- hiking
- camping
- kayaking and canoeing
- skiing
- skeet shooting
And just about any other outdoor activities you can think of. Starting an outdoor adventure business can be a financially rewarding career.
Give Ski Lessons
If you’re a capable skier and fortunate enough to live near the mountains where it snows, offering ski lessons can be a great bankable idea. Keep in mind that some ski resorts may require instructors to be their employee, and therefore covered under the resort’s insurance policy. However, those for whom this is not a restriction have lots of options to tailor their entrepreneurial efforts. Such options can include level of skiing taught, group or private lessons, and choice of location.
Become a Hiking Guide
Imagine getting paid to hike! Hiking guides with a vast knowledge of local trails and nature are often booked to lead hiking trips. Potential clients include:
- families
- tourists
- groups of co-workers
- schoolchildren
- Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts.
An outdoorsy entrepreneur interested in becoming a hiking guide can approach local organizations, or advertise their services via Viator, AirBnb, or local activity sites.
Offer Boat Rentals
Other entrepreneurs make quite a lot of money by renting out their cars and houses, so why not rent out a boat? If you live near the water, offer boat rentals with yourself as the captain. Groups of friends or families often want the experience of spending the day on a boat. But they don’t usually aren’t boat owners themselves or have the knowledge to safely drive one. Just keep in mind that you’ll likely need to obtain special licensing, insurance, and maybe even a license for alcohol, depending upon where you live.
Bring Pony Rides and Petting Zoos to Birthday Parties and Other Events
Although this one takes a bit more capital to start, providing pony rides and petting zoos at special events is a great idea for the outdoors-loving entrepreneur. First, know that you’ll need at least 1-2 ponies, a truck and trailer to transport them, a stable to house them, and saddles.
If you’ll also be offering a petting zoo, your zoo might include goats, chickens, ducks, sheep, and miniature horses, among other fun critters. These animals will also need food, transportation, and shelter. Potential jobs for your pony rides and petting zoo include birthday parties, school carnivals, fairs, and other special events. Build relationships and network with outdoor event planning businesses and you’ll be sure to get steady work.
Provide Board-Up Services
Doesn’t it seem as if there has been an uptick in hurricanes lately? The [brave] outdoor entrepreneur can take advantage of nasty weather by offering board-up services for owners of local vacation homes, or for those who have already evacuated.
When it’s not hurricane season, your company can remain in business by closing up vacation homes for those who would rather spend their last day of vacation lounging on the beach.
Lead Canoe or Kayak Tours
Depending upon where you live, leading canoe or kayak tours can prove to be a very lucrative endeavor for the outdoor entrepreneur. Tourists of all ages and skill levels love to fully experience a lake, river, bay, or ocean. Plan a variety of interesting routes that would appeal to:
- beginners
- advanced kayakers
- families with children
You’ll also need to decide the focus of your tour. For example, will you lead your group to a secret swimming hole? Point out unique geographical features? Tell fascinating historical stories? Advertise your tours via the local tourism office, AirBnb, or Viator.
Start a Gardening and Landscaping Business
As long as people own homes, there will be a need for gardening and landscaping services. All you need is a lawnmower, leaf blower, and trimmer, and you’re all set to start collecting clients. To make more money, expand your services to include landscape design and clean-up, gardening, and tree trimming. And if you’re really skilled, go full service and add the design and construction of decks and patios to your list of services offered.
Become a Photographer
If you have the right skills and equipment, photography can be a very profitable outdoor business for an entrepreneur. Commercial photographers, portrait photographers, wedding photographers, and even real-estate photographers are all highly sought after. To ensure your calendar fills up with reservations, provide potential clients with an impressive portfolio showcasing your very best work. When you aren’t photographing clients, make a little extra by selling your photos as stock photos through websites like Shutterstock.
Design and Build Treehouses
“Tiny houses” may be a trend, but treehouses are forever. If you live in an area with lots of mature trees, consider starting a company designing and building backyard treehouses. While you’d likely stay busy building the houses yourself, you can also be especially savvy and sell your houses as kits.
Rent Equipment
Everyone loves visiting the beach, but many people don’t own a boat, kayak, cabana, or snorkeling gear. Fill the void by offering equipment rentals to both locals and tourists. Best of all, this entrepreneurial endeavor can be successful in any type of environment. In the mountains, you can rent out skis, snow boots, hiking gear, and anything else one might need to take advantage of local pastimes.
Become a Local Tour Guide
If you’re fortunate enough to live somewhere considered “touristy,” then you are in a prime spot to become a local tourism guide. Thanks to sites like AirBnb and Viator, anyone with a little creativity and a solid local knowledge can make money sharing that knowledge with visitors. First, decide what kind of tour you’ll give. Will it focus on history? Street art? Food? Don’t limit yourself to the typical walking tour if you don’t want to. There are even successful guides who offer cooking or dancing lessons in the local traditions.
Sell Produce at the Farmers’ Market
You don’t need a big farm to sell produce and make money at local farmers’ markets. Simply growing a backyard garden can lead to a great outdoor business! Products like tomatoes and zucchini grow quickly, and are popular items at a farmers’ market.
If you don’t have a backyard, consider an indoor herb garden to grow handfuls of rosemary, mint, or thyme. If you can bake or preserve, these skills lead to even more potential products to sell.
Walk Dogs and Pet Sit
Thanks to websites like Care.com and Rover.com, it’s easier than ever to make money simply by hanging out with pets. Outdoor-loving entrepreneurs can offer services like pet sitting, dog walking, or pet transportation for those times when a pet’s owner can’t get them to the vet or groomer. Don’t like the idea of paying a bigger company a fee for every new client? Create some business cards to attract customers and start your own business covering your town or county.
If you want to take pet sitting to another level, you could become a certified dog trainer. Dog training is a specialized job that can be done indoors or outdoors. With the right knowledge and experience, you could provide individual or group dog training sessions, agility training, or even specialized training.
Become a Fishing Guide
A fishing guide is like a personal coach for fishing! You’ll get to spend your day on the water, showing people all the tricks of the fishing trade. You’ll be able to share your passion for fishing while running a profitable business. Fishing guides help their clients create unforgettable memories, sharing in the joy as they reel in their first big catch.
Offer Outdoor Cleaning Services
One of the best outdoor business ideas for those who enjoy cleaning is an outdoor cleaning service. This lucrative business opportunity has endless potential if you have the right equipment and don’t mind hard work. There are several types of cleaning service outdoor business ideas you could explore including:
- pool cleaning services
- a window washing business
- a mobile car wash
These profitable outdoor business ideas allow you to work outside, soaking up the sun and fresh air, instead of being stuck indoors all day. You’ll be making people happy too while you make everything sparkle and shine.
Eradicate Outdoor Pests
Starting an outdoor pest control business can make you the superhero of outdoor spaces, swooping in to save the day from pesky pests. Annoying mosquitoes and creepy crawlers will be a thing of the past when you start your own pest control business. Not only will you be doing a great service for your clients, but you’ll provide peace of mind for homeowners and businesses. Your outdoor business will take you to all sorts of cool places from yards to golf courses, and even farms.
Remove Snow
Starting a snow removal business might be the perfect outdoor business for those cold winter months. Since snow removal is a seasonal business (in most areas), you can make some serious cash during the winter months. People are often desperate to get their driveways and sidewalks cleared so you can provide a much-needed service to homeowners and businesses. You’ll get to be your own boss and set your own schedule. Best of all, you’ll spend time outdoors, taking in that crisp winter air!
Open a Food Truck
Are you an aspiring outdoor entrepreneur with a passion for cooking? A food truck might be a great business idea! You can choose when and where to park your food truck (following local ordinances of course!) and attend a variety of events and festivals. You can take your truck on new adventures, exploring different neighborhoods and cities. Compared to a brick-and-mortar restaurant, food trucks are much more budget friendly. You can be as creative as you want with your menu too, which is often a chef’s dream come true!
