I run a 30-year-old bookstore. Here's how I've kept sales rising for 4 straight years.

Tech Insider : Business, Economy, Style
Kandi West, Owner of WordsWorth Books in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Kandi West is the co-owner and general manager of WordsWorth Books.

Katie Adkins for BI

We quit our jobs at 26, moved, and opened a whiskey distillery. I don't expect our kids to take it over.

Tech Insider : Business
Lucy and Andy Rieger standing by their distillery, J. Rieger & Co.
Lucy and Andy Rieger quit their jobs and moved to Kansas City to open a distillery.

Provided by Lucy Rieger

My city was filling up with digital nomads, so I converted my family home into a business

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
Hana Nguyễn
Hana Nguyen converted part of her parents' family home in Da Nang, Vietnam, into a coworking space.

Duc Nguyen for BI

My small business modernized a 2,000-year-old tourniquet. We've already sold hundreds of kits through word of mouth.

Tech Insider : Business, Environment, Sports
Founder Hannah Herbst with AutoTQ kits at the Golden Hour Medical headquarters in Boca Raton, Florida on March 2, 2026. Herbst developed the AutoTQ automated tourniquet after learning about the frequency of blood loss deaths. (Photo by Jennifer Ortiz)
Hannah Herbst is the CEO of Golden Hour Medical.

Jennifer Ortiz for BI

They were about to shut down their business. Then a raw TikTok changed everything.

Tech Insider : Business, Style
Portrait of ChocboxLA founders Brittany and Kevin.
Brittany Nemandoust, the founder of Chocbox, and her husband, Kevin.

Ethan Noah Roy for BI

I've made $11.4 million from my clean skincare brand. Now, I'm rebranding to reflect my company's evolution and expect to double my revenue.

Tech Insider : Business, Style
Elina Sofia Wang wears a pink blazer and stands behind ESW Beauty products.
Elina Sofia Wang is the founder of ESW Beauty.

My Muse Photography

They split a $4,470 RV three ways. Now their food truck makes $240,000 annually.

Tech Insider : Business, Style, Travel
Three men looking out of the hatch of a food truck
Eddie Adegeye, JT Tarwei, and Isaac Flomo inside their food truck

Courtesy of Danny Wasabi

I stopped bartending full-time to sell ice. My company now makes nearly $3 million a year, catering to Michelin-starred restaurants in New York City.

Tech Insider : Business, Style
man at bar
Richard Boccato launched his ice business in 2011.

Business Insider

How I created a $20 million luxury ice company

Tech Insider : Business, Style

Richard Boccato created a business that transforms 300-pound blocks of filtered tap water into hand-cut cubes, spheres, and custom-engraved ice. His company, Hundredweight Ice, based in New York City, harvests more than 3 million pounds of ice a year and generated $3 million in revenue in 2025.

Welcome to the United States of Side Hustles

Tech Insider : Business, Economy, Environment
William Butterton
William Butterton is a full-time engineer. He runs Pack Daddies Card Co. and Viking Vendors on the side.

Chona Kasinger for BI

For burnt-out 9-to-5ers looking to start something of their own, there's good news and bad news.

The good news is that it's never been easier to start a side hustle. Unfortunately, that's also the bad news.

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