- It's no surprise that we're now working in a gig economy, and you're not alone if you've been thinking about having your own side business. But when you go looking for ideas, they might seem either too big or take too much investment. It can be paralyzing because you don't know how to get started. I'd like to show you a few dozen ways that you can start a small business or a side business, and create recurring revenue without a big investment of time or money, and without having to do something that feels like a second job.