Online Businesses · Part-Time Businesses
Digital templates and printables
Design and sell downloadable templates such as planners, spreadsheets, resumes, social media layouts or worksheets. No inventory, but crowded marketplaces make standing out the hard part.
Cash to start (upfront + working capital)
$0–$20 + unverified items
Ongoing costs per month
Not verified
Time
Part-time possible, ~3+ hrs/week
What it costs to start
Amounts are itemized estimates. “Not verified” means we don’t have a defensible figure; it is not $0.
| Item | Type | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Design software at free or low tiersOptional Free design and spreadsheet tools are enough to make first products. | Initial setup | $0–$20 |
| Fonts and graphics licensed for commercial resaleOptional Free assets exist, but check each license allows use in products you sell. | Initial setup | $0–$50 |
| Marketplace listing fees for first products Some marketplaces charge small per-listing fees; others charge only when you sell. | Initial setup | $0–$20 |
| Business registration Varies by city and state; check your local requirements. | Initial setup | Not verified |
| Upfront costs (required) | $0–$20 + unverified items | |
| Working capital | Not verified | |
| Optional extras | $0–$70 |
Ongoing costs
| Item | Per month |
|---|---|
| Marketplace and payment processing fees Usually a percentage of each sale; varies by platform. | Not verified |
| Software subscriptions beyond free tiersOptional | $0–$30 |
What you need
- Computer
- Design or spreadsheet software
- Marketplace or storefront account
Licensing: No license is needed to sell digital files, though a general business license may apply. Product descriptions must be truthful. Some states tax digital product sales; check whether your marketplace collects sales tax for you. Payment platforms may report your sales to the IRS.
Skills that help: Design, Web development or technology, Marketing.
Time: Products can be made in batches; listings keep selling without your time, if they sell at all.
Typical customer: Small business owners, teachers, students, job seekers, event planners and hobbyists looking for ready-made layouts
How it makes money: One-time sales of digital files through online marketplaces or your own store, sometimes bundles
Business model: Online business, Product business, Side hustle
Risks and downsides
- Marketplaces are saturated; many listings never sell.
- Buyers copy and redistribute files, and others may copy your designs.
- Using fonts or graphics without a commercial license can get listings removed or bring claims.
- Marketplace fee, search ranking or policy changes can cut sales suddenly.
- Low prices per item mean volume is needed before results are meaningful.
Your first step
Ask ten people in a niche you know (teachers, landlords, job seekers) what template they wish existed, make one with free tools, and see whether any of them will buy it before making a catalog.
Then
- Check the license of every font and graphic you use.
- Write honest descriptions with clear previews of what buyers get.
- Track which products sell and make variations of those.
- Keep records of sales for taxes, including any payment-platform forms you receive.
Sources and review
- Advertising and Marketing on the Internet: Rules of the Road (Federal Trade Commission). Supports: Online advertising and product descriptions must be truthful and not deceptive, and promised refunds must be honored.
- Form 1099-K FAQs: What to do if you receive a Form 1099-K (Internal Revenue Service). Supports: Payment platforms may report payments on Form 1099-K, and business sales are treated differently from selling personal items.
- Self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare taxes) (Internal Revenue Service). Supports: Self-employed people generally owe self-employment tax on net earnings.
Last reviewed October 18, 2026. Method: Itemized editorial estimate built from typical starter equipment and setup items. Cited sources support the requirements and context, not each dollar figure. Items we could not price defensibly are marked "Not verified" instead of $0. Local prices vary.
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