Small Business Ideas for Off-Gridders

For a long time, I’ve been considering going off the grid. However, making enough cash/money to pay your taxes, purchase products that you can’t acquire off the grid, or have some cash for a rainy day is one of the hurdles to getting off the grid. This is much more strenuous now that I have a family, and I can only do so much. So, after much deliberation, sleepless nights, prayer, and meditation, I, Matthew Davies, have compiled a list that I believe is reasonably useful. At the very least, it makes sense in my head, and that’s all that matters to me. So, without further ado, here is a list of viable business ideas, methods, and jobs for making money while living luxuriously “Off the Grid.”

Knitted Goods and Spinning Homemade Yarn

This is the start of my new adventure! I recently decided to learn to knit. I was disappointed when I went to the nearest yarn shop. The yarn they had was plain, unattractive, thin, and uninteresting. In my mind’s eye, I saw a wild, rich, vivid, and wacky yarn. I was sure I’d seen it someplace, but it wasn’t in this yarn store. When I questioned about it, the cashier didn’t appear to understand what I was talking about. So I went out and bought some half-decent yarn (because that’s all I could find) and went online in search of the yarn of my dreams. Well, I’ve discovered it! I had seen handcrafted, homespun yarn before, and it was amazing! I’d found a new interest and, with any luck, a new job! Homemade yarn is not only more beautiful than store-bought yarn, but it’s also a lot of fun to make and may become somewhat addicting. I immediately began planning to get goats and sheep to help me with my new venture!

Organic Fruits, Nuts, and Vegetables Distribution

If you’re living off the grid, this is a given. I had two apple trees at my old on-grid home. I never had to do anything with one of the two trees, yet it produced the most delicious, flawless apples I’ve ever tasted. The other was so bad that I would have chopped the tree down if I hadn’t moved. So, the takeaway here is to plant items that are easy to grow in your location. That way, all you’ll have to do with your trees is pick the fruit and prune them now and then. Growing veggies takes a little more effort, but the idea remains the same: plant crops that grow in your area. It will reduce the amount of work required, and you will avoid using pesticides entirely. Eat what you grow on your farm, preserve some of it, and sell the rest.

Writing

Anyone who has done any freelance writing understands that it is difficult to make a living at it. However, when you live off the grid, you don’t need to make a lot of money, so what you do make goes further than if you were living somewhere else with actual bills. As a result, freelance writing can supplement your income and, with a bit of work, could make the difference between paying your taxes and facing foreclosure. Apart from that, it’s a lot of fun!

Breeding and Selling Animals

Look, you have all that land, so why not make the most of it? Breeding animals may be a rewarding experience as well as a profitable small business. My acquaintance bred seeing-eye dogs for the blind for many years and found it a gratifying experience. You can breed and sell various animals, including farm animals, seeing-eye dogs, and police dogs. You can even breed specific breeds or even try your hand at bird breeding. You could breed your farm animals and sell the offspring since you already have them. You might as well milk the cows or sheep and sell the cheese while you’re at it! Raw milk is a delicacy that is quickly gaining popularity. I only drink raw milk now and will never drink swill milk again. Each state is different, but to “sell” raw milk, you may need to sell cow shares, which is simply a legal ruse to make it legal. On the plus side, most states do not require you to obtain a state license (again, check your state). Selling raw milk is less expensive and more straightforward than selling store-bought junk.

Now, I know some of you are saying you don’t have enough space to raise and sell animals, but have you considered rabbits? Rabbits may be bred indoors, they are quiet, and they reproduce very quickly! Not to mention fish; if you have a large enough pond, you may raise catfish, tilapia, or trout. Even if you don’t have access to a pond, you can set up an aquaponics greenhouse and keep as many fish as you want! Another suggestion came from a friend of mine, who suggested raising and eating or selling quail. Quail are delicious, quiet enough to be enjoyed even in a city, and ready to be consumed in as little as five weeks. 

Selling Eggs

Selling eggs can be a separate industry depending on how many chickens you have, especially free-range organic eggs. Most chickens produce one egg per day, and at roughly $3.00 per dozen, selling eggs is an excellent way to supplement your income. If you don’t want to go whole hog (or chicken as it were), you can sell eggs to your neighbors to supplement your income.

Daycare

Depending on how far away you are, this may or may not work. If you already have children, though, why not have a few more and earn some additional cash? Children adore farms, and a couple more at minimum wage may quickly bring in a thousand dollars a month or more. If you have contacts through a farm club or church, this is an excellent little business to start.

Solar Ovens and Dehydrators Construction and Sale

Solar ovens and dehydrators are simple to construct. It is not like building a house. I added this since a solar oven or dehydrator is something that even I could create, and they are such extraordinary contraptions. They can be as aesthetically pleasing as you want, are simple to construct, and are helpful because they do not require electricity and give a beneficial service. Place an ad in the local paper and see who responds.

Conclusion

Above are just a few of the ideas I, Matthew Davies, have thought of to supplement my income while living off grid. I will consider doing a part two in the future depending on the popularity of this post. Therefore, if you find this interesting and would like a second list of side hustles you can do to make money and live off grid, make sure you leave a comment or a like on this post.