Most money-making ideas follow predictable patterns. But some people see opportunities in places others ignore. These offbeat ventures show how creative thinking can lead to a profitable niche. If you’re curious about making money outside the usual path, these examples will challenge the way you think about business.
1. Selling Fake Alibis
Need an excuse to skip work or get out of an awkward dinner? In some parts of the world, you can actually pay for a convincing alibi.
Alibi businesses thrive on discretion. Customers turn to them when they need a believable story or documentation to cover their absence.
Alibi.com, based in France, made headlines for offering everything from false hotel bookings to phone calls from a “boss.” Their motto: “Freedom is a right.”
They primarily serve two types of clients:
- People trying to cover up affairs
- Workers needing to skip meetings or family events
It’s controversial, but lucrative. Some services charge up to $500 per alibi. In Japan, this concept goes further. There, companies offer “rent-a-family” actors to stand in as spouses or relatives for life events.
What does this mean for you?
Think about how much people pay to protect their reputation. Services that offer privacy and discretion almost always earn customer loyalty.
2. Renting Bridesmaids
Weddings are social, emotional—and expensive. When brides have few friends or want a uniform bridal party, they turn to professional bridesmaids.
Jennie Wright started Bridesmaid for Hire after serving in over a dozen weddings. She noticed how stressful the event was for brides and offered to act as an emotional coach, organizer, and stylist.
Her rates range between $300 to $2,000 depending on the level of involvement.
Why does this work?
Because people want their big day to feel perfect. Bridesmaids for hire take stress off friends. They act like a best friend without the emotional baggage.
This isn’t a novelty one-off. It’s a service with real demand. Bridesmaids for Hire has appeared on major media outlets. It’s a growing trend in big cities.
If you’re compassionate and organized, this could be a side gig.
3. Professional Cuddlers
This one catches people off guard. But professional cuddling is a real paid service. Clients seek comfort, non-sexual touch, and emotional support.
Cuddlist and similar companies offer training and booking platforms. Sessions run around $60 to $100 per hour. Some cuddle pros make $40,000 or more per year.
Clients include:
- Widowed or lonely people
- Autistic adults needing sensory care
- People recovering from trauma or stress
Candidates go through extensive screening and certification. The focus is on boundaries, trust, and healing touch.
With rising awareness around mental health, demand for non-sexual emotional care has grown. It’s not for everyone, but for those with empathy and strong boundaries, it’s a career path.
4. Mobile Wedding Officiants
Not everyone wants a church wedding. Some prefer to elope on a beach or tie the knot in a backyard. That’s where mobile officiants come in.
These professionals specialize in traveling to the couple’s chosen location and performing legal marriage ceremonies.
They usually charge $200 to $500 per ceremony, with travel fees added.
Many use this as a flexible side gig. If you’re empathetic, can speak well, and don’t mind public moments, this may work for you.
In some states, becoming an officiant is as simple as registering online. And the demand increases each year as smaller, more personalized weddings trend up.
5. Pet Waste Removal
Walking your dog is one thing. But picking up after them is a job some people are eager to outsource.
Pet waste removal is an in-demand business. Entrepreneurs like DoodyCalls and Poop 911 offer weekly pickup services.
Services cost $10 to $20 per visit. With a regular neighborhood route, one person can earn $100 to $500 per week.
It’s not glamorous. But the overhead is low. And demand is steady in urban and suburban neighborhoods.
If you’re looking for a no-frills local business, cleaning up after dogs sounds strange—but pays the bills.
6. Scuba Diving Golf Ball Retrieval
Golf balls disappear by the millions into water hazards. Who retrieves them? Specialized divers make a living collecting them from ponds and lakes on golf courses.
Recovered balls are cleaned and resold to golf shops or online platforms like LostGolfBalls.com.
Some divers retrieve up to 4,000 balls in one day. That can mean hundreds of dollars.
This job isn’t easy. You need scuba certification, and the water can be murky or hazardous. But once set up, it’s a reliable cash source.
If you love diving and don’t mind getting messy, this niche offers repeat business from golf courses.
7. Renting Backyard Chickens
Urban homesteading has sparked interest in raising chickens. But not everyone wants to commit long term.
That’s where companies like Rent the Chicken come in. They deliver hens, feed, and coops to your yard. At the end of the season, they pick up the flock.
Rental packages cost between $400 and $600 for six months. You can even adopt the chickens after.
This business meets demand for locally sourced eggs without long-term responsibility.
There’s also an education profile—families love teaching kids about food and animals with real-life experience.
If you have land and poultry knowledge, you can start small and grow locally.
8. Selling Paranormal Tours
Ghost stories don’t just entertain—they sell.
Haunted history tours are big business in cities with rich folklore. Some guides book full walking tours year-round.
In Charleston, Savannah, and New Orleans, ghost tour agencies thrive. Tickets range from $15 to $40, with some companies bringing in six-figure revenues.
The appeal:
- Tourism
- Local legends
- Night-time entertainment
Low startup costs. All you need is a script, local knowledge, and city permits.
This can be more than a Halloween gig. Some guides expand into true crime tours, UFO investigations, or historic reenactments.
9. Line Sitting Jobs
People hate waiting. But they’ll pay others to wait for them.
Line sitting involves standing in a queue for someone else—concert tickets, product launches, DMV appointments.
Companies like Same Ole Line Dudes in New York charge $25 for the first hour and $10 for each additional 30 minutes.
You don’t need special skills. Just time, reliability, and warm clothing.
This works in densely populated cities where waiting in line is the norm.
Interested? Promote your services near gaming events, product releases, or government offices. You can even scale by subcontracting others.
10. Human Billboard Services
People rent out their bodies—in a way. Paid to shave logos into hair or wear branded clothing, these human billboards help companies get attention.
Some tattoo ad space. Others wear sandwich boards. One man reportedly made over $10,000 tattooing a casino’s name on his forehead.
It’s extreme. But flash-driven marketing can work with the right brand.
More modern versions include:
- Walking ads at conventions
- T-shirt media companies
- Temporary body paint for product launches
If you’re bold and location-based, you can turn yourself into ad space—literally.
Which One Stands Out to You?
Every example in this list started from a real need—stress relief, convenience, entertainment, connection, or status.
The biggest takeaway: People pay for services that solve small but specific problems.
You don’t need a revolutionary idea. You need attention to what makes people tick.
Let others chase the obvious. You focus on what most people overlook.
