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Free AI business idea generator

Tell it your skills, budget and time. Get 8 business ideas that fit you, each with who would pay and a cheap way to test it this month.

How it works

  1. Describe your skills, work experience, interests, location and how much time you have. The more specific, the better the ideas.
  2. Pick the kind of business you'd consider and your starting budget, then click Generate ideas.
  3. Get 8 ideas, each with who pays and a cheap first test. Pick two and run the tests this month.

Examples

Sample results for the inputs shown, so you can see the format and quality before you try it.

Example 1: input

Your skills, experience and interests: 10 years as a bookkeeper for restaurants. Good with QuickBooks and spreadsheets. Evenings and weekends free. Live in Austin.

Kind of business: Any kind

Starting budget: Under $1,000

Example 1: output
  1. Restaurant month-end close service — Independent restaurant owners in Austin pay a monthly fee for books closed by the 5th. You've done this for 10 years and know their chart of accounts. First test: offer a first month at a founding rate to 5 owners you already know.
  2. QuickBooks cleanup for restaurants — Owners who fell behind pay a one-time fee to get their books straight before tax season. It's a fast, bounded job that uses your core skill. First test: post the offer in two Austin restaurant owner groups and book 3 calls.
  3. Food cost tracking setup — Kitchen managers pay you to build a weekly food cost spreadsheet and train them on it. You know which numbers restaurants actually watch. First test: build one for a friendly restaurant for free in exchange for a testimonial.
  4. Weekend payroll and tip reporting help — Small restaurants pay monthly for tip pooling and payroll prep. Restaurant tip rules are a pain point you already handle. First test: ask 10 owners how they handle tip reporting now and what it costs them in time.
  5. Restaurant bookkeeping templates — New owners buy a ready-made QuickBooks chart of accounts and spreadsheet pack. Turns what you know into a product you sell while you sleep. First test: put up a landing page with a pre-order button and share it in one owner community.
  6. Bookkeeping for food trucks — Food truck operators in Austin pay a low monthly fee for simple books. Similar work to restaurants, fewer accounts, a group few bookkeepers target. First test: visit two food truck parks on a weekend and talk to 10 owners.
  7. New restaurant opening finance kit — People opening their first restaurant pay for a setup session covering accounts, POS reports and a cash flow sheet. Your 10 years show you which mistakes happen in year one. First test: offer 3 setup sessions through a restaurant equipment dealer or landlord.
  8. Evening QuickBooks classes for kitchen managers — Managers pay for a small-group class on reading their restaurant's numbers. Evenings fit your schedule and your expertise. First test: run one paid class for 5 people and ask what they'd pay for a series.
Example 2: input

Your skills, experience and interests: Product designer, 7 years at SaaS companies. Know Figma deeply. Interested in health and fitness. Want something I can run part-time.

Kind of business: Software or SaaS

Starting budget: $1,000 to $10,000

Example 2: output
  1. Figma design system audit tool — Design leads at SaaS companies pay for a plugin that flags inconsistent components and styles. You know the pain from 7 years of SaaS work. First test: share a clickable prototype with 15 design leads and ask who'd pay for early access.
  2. Client onboarding forms for personal trainers — Independent trainers pay monthly for intake and goal forms that look good on a phone. Combines your design skill with your fitness interest. First test: interview 10 trainers about how they onboard clients today.
  3. Workout log for strength coaches' clients — Coaches pay per client for a simple app their clients log sessions in. A narrow product you could design well and run part-time. First test: build a Figma prototype and get 3 coaches to commit to a paid pilot.
  4. UX review subscription for small SaaS teams — Founders without a designer pay monthly for a recorded review of one flow. Easy to run part-time with your experience. First test: offer 3 free reviews on a founder forum and ask for a paid follow-up.
  5. Figma handoff checker for developers — Engineering leads pay for a tool that lists missing states and specs before a design is built. You've seen what goes wrong at handoff. First test: publish a free checklist and see how many sign up for the tool's waitlist.
  6. Class booking page builder for small gyms — Studio owners pay for a well-designed booking page without a full platform. Fits your fitness interest and design strength. First test: design pages for 2 local studios and ask if they'd pay monthly.
  7. Habit tracker for physical therapy homework — Clinics pay for an app that reminds patients to do their exercises. A health niche where design matters. First test: talk to 5 physical therapists about why patients skip exercises.
  8. Design critique community for junior designers — Junior designers pay a monthly fee for weekly critiques. Low build cost and uses your senior perspective. First test: run a paid critique session for 10 people.
Example 3: input

Your skills, experience and interests: Retired high school chemistry teacher, 30 years. Patient explainer. Live in a small town in Ohio. Like woodworking.

Kind of business: Any kind

Starting budget: Under $1,000

Example 3: output
  1. Online chemistry tutoring for AP students — Parents pay per session for AP and honors chemistry help. Thirty years of explaining chemistry is exactly what they want. First test: tell 10 parents or former colleagues you have 5 slots open this month.
  2. Chemistry exam prep small groups — Parents pay per student for 4 to 6 week groups before exams. Groups use your time better than one-to-one. First test: run one group for 4 students before the next test season.
  3. Homeschool chemistry lab kits — Homeschool parents buy safe kitchen-chemistry lab kits with lesson guides. Uses your curriculum experience and low-cost materials. First test: make 5 kits and offer them to a local homeschool group.
  4. Homeschool chemistry course — Homeschool families pay for a semester course with weekly live classes. Your classroom experience fits a structured course. First test: announce a small pilot class to one homeschool co-op.
  5. Custom wooden lab and science models — Teachers and schools buy handmade molecule models or display stands. Combines woodworking with chemistry. First test: make 3 and show them to former colleagues and a school supply buyer.
  6. Woodworking classes in your town — Local adults pay for small weekend classes. Uses your teaching skill on your hobby. First test: post a class on a community board and see if 4 people sign up.
  7. Substitute teacher training sessions — Schools or districts pay for a session on handling a science class safely. Your experience covers what new subs lack. First test: email one principal you know and offer a session.
  8. Chemistry explainer videos for teachers — Teachers pay for short videos on hard topics to use in class. Your explanations become a product. First test: record 3 videos and share them with 20 teachers for feedback.

Tips for better results

  • Lead with your unfair advantage. "10 years as a bookkeeper for restaurants" gets far better ideas than "good with numbers".
  • Be honest about budget and time. The ideas change a lot between evenings-only with $500 and full-time with $30,000.
  • Run the first test before you build anything. Ten conversations with buyers will tell you more than a month of planning.
  • Generate twice with different business kinds. Service ideas earn sooner; product ideas can grow bigger. Seeing both helps you choose.

FAQ

Is this business idea generator free?

Yes. Enter your email once to use it (you'll also get Something Big, our free weekly AI newsletter, and you can unsubscribe anytime). There's no account and no credit card.

Are these ideas proven to make money?

No. They're starting points matched to your skills and budget, and the generator doesn't know market sizes or prices, so it never claims them. Each idea includes a cheap first test so you can find out for yourself.

What's a good first test for a business idea?

Something that gets a real response from buyers: ten conversations with the people who would pay, a pre-sale, a pilot with one client, or a landing page that collects sign-ups. Asking friends if they like the idea doesn't count.

Can it suggest ideas for a small budget?

Yes. Choose Under $1,000 and it sticks to services, pre-sales and simple digital products that don't need inventory or custom software.

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