Off-grid means off-grid
There are many ‘survival websites‘ that offer a lot of advice concerning the type of off-grid business you can run.
Unfortunately, most of those sites do not understand what off-grid really means.
Their business suggestions are all on the grid.
For example, write an e-book, teach English over the computer, create an online course, and many others.
None of these are off-grid and require a substantial investment.
What follows are those business ideas that are totally off-grid.
Some may be easy to start, others may require a lot of land to facilitate the needs of the business.
Pick and choose which ones would fit your situation and talents best.
Off-grid business tips
Before we list the different businesses you can start and be off-grid, here is one major tip to help you run your new company.
DO NOT start it to become rich.
These are not businesses to help you get rich but businesses that are meant to help you survive a catastrophe or disaster.
They will take work and some skill in different areas but one thing is for sure, you won’t get rich quick.
If that is your goal, then you are not cut out for these businesses.
These businesses are going to need a serious attitude from you, and a serious investment in time and you really have to want to run these types of businesses to make them work.
They are not fly by night, flash in the pan money-making schemes.
Off-grid business ideas
#1. Start a swap meet
This is a business that will require some space to do properly.
Not much space but enough to have a few tables set up and room for the customers.
You can rent out those tables to others who want to sell their produce, or craft items and make your money that way.
This can be an all cash business or part cash part barter business that will keep you off the grid for a long time.
The drawback is finding enough people to rent those tables and making sure they pay their rental fees on time.
A good location will help as well.
#2. Grow and sell food
Use your land to grow vegetables and other food items.
Then set up a stand where people can see and visit it easily.
This can go hand in hand with the swap meet idea and turn the swap meet into a farmer’s market where others rent tables from you to sell their products.
The key here is to grow items other people are not growing and selling.
Then make sure your prices are fair.
The drawback is that you may have to eat what you are selling before it goes bad.
#3. Start a herbal medicine shop
If there is a catastrophe that wipes out the grid, etc., pharmaceutical companies may be hardest hit.
These companies may not be able to supply all the medicines needed by people in your area.
Learn about herbs and their medicinal value and start meeting people’s medical needs by selling the right herbs for the right ailments.
Keep in mind that almost all medicines on the market today started from herbs and other plant life.
#4. Be a blacksmith
Before the industrial revolution, blacksmithing was the industry that created all metal tools, etc.
The biggest investment you would need would be to buy the best blacksmith tools available.
Then be able to create a hot enough fire to fashion hard metals like steel and iron.
Blacksmiths can fill the void when the factory-made tool supply runs out or they break with no chance of replacement.
#5. The trades
This category covers a lot of professional businesses that rely more on labor than it does electricity and computers.
Plumbers, masons, and carpenters do not need to be on the grid to ply their trade.
They can operate quite well without electricity, it just will take them a bit longer to complete their work.
Another good business in this category would be a well digger.
People will be looking for good, clean, fresh water and the well may be their only option.
#6. Handyman
People will always need something fixed around their homes.
They just may not have the skills to do the work.
All the handyman needs is a hammer, a screwdriver, a chisel, and a saw, among other hand tools and they can make a lot of money.
This is an all cash business, no credit cards are allowed.
Or you can barter your services for food items you and your family may need.
You get a lot of freedom to work when you want and for whom you want.
#7. Gunsmith
Another vital business that takes skill and talent but not electricity or computers, etc.
When the SHTF situations arise, people will be needing to have guns fixed, ammunition, and new guns that work well.
If you have a reloading press and other supplies can easily make producing ammunition into a profitable business venture off-grid.
The demand for ammunition will be there as more and more people will return to hunting for their own food.
The violence of the after-catastrophe world will drive many people to buy new guns to protect themselves and their families.
#8. Teach workshops
This can range from homesteading to the art of survival.
Or you can teach how to be a plumber, carpenter, blacksmithing, gardening, and a lot more.
People pay a nice fee to be taught by qualified teachers who know what they are talking about.
All you need is a good location, a nice sized room, and some top advertising.
#9. Start a coffee shop
If you have enough supplies and a way to get more coffee, you can open a little coffee shop and make a little money.
You do not have to make weird coffee drinks.
Most people prefer a good cup of coffee that is reasonably priced and a little good company.
That is all you need to provide with a few snacks thrown in on the side.
#10. Start a campground
This is one of those businesses that require a lot of land to do right.
It is also one of those businesses that may take years to get all the bugs out.
But once you are up and going, you can make it an all-cash campground and stay off the grid with solar power, and so on.
You may not be able to offer hook ups for RVs but you can have campers with tents and cars.
Simple outhouses to start will suffice and as you make more money, you can always upgrade over the years.
Why are no internet businesses on this list?
There are many survival and off-grid websites that like to keep mentioning the different businesses you can do online.
They say you can create your own electrical power and that is possible if you can get the right equipment and generate enough power.
That doesn’t always happen that way as in many cases you need a very strong current in your stream, a way to make steam, or buy enough solar panels and batteries.
It is a huge investment to create your own electrical grid with enough power to run lights, monitors, and computers.
Then all these websites are operating under the assumption that after a disaster or catastrophe, the internet system is still viable and working.
They are assuming that people in other parts of the world have a computer and internet service.
When it comes to online businesses, it is best to do those now when the system is intact and operating on all cylinders and on the grid.
Off-grid businesses are companies where you can hide part of your revenue and not report it.
Or you want to be left alone by government or local officials.
Owning your own business is stressful
Especially when you go off-grid.
It is a lot of hard work and you have to be dedicated to doing it for the business to thrive and take off.
Plus, you run the risk of losing everything when your business goes sour or there is a problem you can’t solve.
Before you start thinking about running your own off-grid business, make sure you are up to the task.
You may not get good insurance coverage, lots of customers, or your products may not meet top-quality standards.
Think about it as while the rewards are great, the risks are just as great.
Some final words
There are a lot more off-grid businesses, you can start and run.
But we have covered what we think are the best survival businesses.
The key is to find something you love doing.
When you start, do not look back.
Learn from your mistakes so you can make the right business improvements and decisions.
Running an off-grid business is like running an on-grid one.
There will be problems to solve, challenges to overcome, and so on.
But if you hang in there, you can reap the rewards of your hard work and survive.
Originally posted 2023-04-10 13:07:23.
