Making money when you are living in a mountain town can be challenging since established businesses are scarce. Here are several solid home business ideas for independent mountain dwellers.
Folks who live in small mountain communities can vary from young families with children to middle-aged singles, to senior retirees. All of these groups have needs that are not readily available away from larger cities. I live in one of those villages, and below are the 5 necessities that come up again and again. If any of these ideas fit your skills, you can make money living in the mountains.
- Home Services
- Skilled trade services
- Recreational vehicle rentals and guides
- Office services
- Campsite
If your skills are not in those areas – not to worry! Here are five more ways to make a good living in a little mountain town.
6. Land Flipping: buy up lots at land auctions or from private parties who no longer have an interest. Improve the cosmetics a bit (clear some trees and brush, make a flat spot) and then resell them at a profit.
7. Online Sales: eBay, Etsy, and Amazon all have a wide-open market for resale. Etsy especially is geared to handmade items and also craft supplies that are hard to come by in the city – think pinecones, acorns, dried and pressed wildflowers, cactus skeletons, and downed wood cleaned and cut. Here are some ideas from Pinterest.
8. Gardening: Fresh produce is always welcome in a small town located far from the nearest grocery store. Whether you grow your own or maintain someone else’s garden or greenhouse, this is a winner for rural areas.
9. Building Furniture: I live in a pinon and ponderosa forest. Building material is everywhere. Rustic, genuine, locally crafted handmade chairs, tables, patio furniture, and garden benches will be in high demand. If you can produce a lot, advertise them for sale on Craigslist where you can upload pictures. You can usually get a wood cutting permit from the forest service if you do not have any useful material on your own property.
10. Firewood Supply: A no-brainer for mountain towns. Firewood cut, split, delivered, and stacked is in demand starting in the fall and going through winter. You can get a permit to cut wood at the local forest service or ranger station, or you can offer to clear trees for heavily treed lots that need thinning.
Within the ten broad groups listed above are dozens of related sub-groups that a smart and motivated mountain dweller can make into a steady income. Below are some expanded ideas from the top five.
Home Services
Home services are especially needed in communities of retired people. This can include home help services such as grocery shopping or picking up meds at the pharmacy. You can schedule a run ‘down the hill’ for a certain day each week, and make a list for each of your clients. You will probably need a large vehicle, truck, or van.
House cleaning services are always needed. Yard work (keeping the walking paths clear and the weeds cut away from the propane tank). Chimney cleaning, window cleaning. You can purchase a set of specific tools, so you always know you have the proper equipment.
Do not be shy about charging for these services. They take time and energy, not to mention the wear and tear on your vehicles and equipment. Seniors who have retired to live in the mountains have an income and they are happy to pay you to do the things they are no longer able (or just don’t want) to do.
Skilled Trade Services
Very lucrative. If a mountain dweller has to call down to the nearest home improvement center, they are going to be charged at least $150.00 for a service person just to drive up there. Having someone available on the mountain is a real blessing.
Plumbers, electricians, carpenters, internet technicians, and auto mechanics are all needed for maintenance, installation, and repair. Mechanics with a tire machine in the garage are golden!
Recreational Vehicle Rental and Tour Guides
Flatlanders love love love to ride around up in the mountains. Horseback riding used to be the thing, but food, health maintenance, and upkeep year-round for horses can be expensive for seasonal activities.
Four-Wheelers, Side-By-Sides, ATVs, or OHVs (all-terrain vehicles or off-highway vehicles) on the other hand, can be parked in a shop or a storage building for maintenance during the off-season.
In all US national forests, motor vehicles can be used only on roads, trails, or areas that are designated as open. This includes all motorized wheeled vehicles from ATVs to street-legal vehicles.
Guided tours during the fall color season, or for spring wildflowers will be packed with reservations for family excursions and photographers.
Office Services
This is a need that is often underfilled in rural towns. If you have a computer and a good printer you can offer office services from your own home office.
Bookkeeping, word processing, making flyers for events, or writing a local newsletter. Advertisement brochures for local businesses. Wills and trust documents.
If real estate is prolific in your area, there is always a need to type up and record documents with the county clerk. Anybody can do this. Deeds for land sales can be copied from an existing document, and details edited and prepared for a notary.
Packing and shipping services can be offered. If you are not already paying for a postage service like Stamps.com or Endicia.com, you can print postage right from your computer directly at the source for only the cost of postage. UPS, FedEx, or the good ol’ USPS postal service all have online postage and shipping available.
Campsite or RV Spaces
Hospitality. This is a biggie. Campgrounds are crowded during the summer seasons and the hunting seasons. Not everyone wants or needs to rent a cabin because they are traveling around with their trailer, backpacking, or just on a weekend adventure in the mountains. And there may not be an RV park or tent campground near your area.
If you have vacant land, you may consider letting someone camp there for a night weekend. Many of the RVs will be self-contained. If not, and they can run a water hose or electrical cord to their RV, even better.
Expanding on this idea, you could consider buying up adjacent lots near yours and creating a permanent camping space. If this idea is appealing to you, there are apps you can register with – kind of like an Airbnb for camping. Here are a few:
Harvest Hosts, Hipcamp, Tentrr, and Boondockers Welcome
Want more? The ideas laid out above were just a few, and many of them can be tweaked to fit your particular situation. Want to see my brainstorming list for this topic? I’ll be happy to share it with you.
Download the free brainstorming list here.
Hopefully, these will spark even more ideas for a creative solution to making money in a mountain community.