All Side Hustle Ideas
Physical products

Wholesale phone repair parts and screen recycling

A wholesaler supplies replacement parts to independent repair shops and recycles broken screens. Money comes from selling parts to hundreds of shops.

At a glance
Estimated by a classifier that read the source. The bar shows how sure it was.
Category
Physical products
94% sure
x
Earns from
One-time sales
90% sure
x
Startup cost (estimate)
Over $10k
81% sure
x
Time it takes (estimate)
Near full-timeLow confidence
55% sure
x
Where
Online and in personLow confidence
58% sure
x
Coding
No coding needed
97% sure
x
Source
Top FoundersChris Koerner, with Nathan Latka. “EP 462: $8.8M 2015 sales of iPhone repair parts with CEO Chris Koerner”, October 29, 2016
In their words, not verified by us$2.1M first full year, $4.8M (2014), $8.8M (2015), 31% gross and 8% net margin; revenue fell to $6.5M in 2016; sold to 700-800 shops; exited.

  • Physical products
    A diaper bag brand designed to look less bulky than traditional bags, manufactured through Alibaba. Preorders and organic TikTok content helped fund inventory.
    Over $10kOnline
    Side Hustle Nation, 2026
  • Physical products
    A home micro bakery selling sourdough, cinnamon rolls, cookies and bagels from a front porch on Saturday mornings. Customers preorder and items sell out to lines of local buyers.
    $100 to $1k
    The Koerner Office, 2026
  • Physical products
    An online store dropshipping high-ticket camper van and motorhome accessories in the UK, with the niche chosen from search and competitor data. Sales come through Google Shopping ads as an authorized reseller.
    Online
    Side Hustle Nation, 2026
  • Physical products
    Buying poorly listed couches, negotiating the price down and reselling them with better photos, including AI-generated backgrounds. The operator is a teenager working in spare time.
    Online and in person
    The Koerner Office, 2026
  • Physical products
    Growing gourmet and medicinal mushrooms such as oyster, lion's mane and reishi, starting in a very small space. It grew into a farm operation alongside a growing club.
    $100 to $1k
    Side Hustle Nation, 2026
  • Physical products
    Sold pesticide-free produce foraged from leased land and roadsides at farmers markets.
    In person
    Hacker News, 2026