One Person + AI Tools = $1,400+ Monthly? Real Cases from My Friends Give You the Answer

Last weekend I was having coffee with my buddy Mike, and he was complaining about wanting to start a side business but feeling like he didn't know anything. "Look at those people making mini-programs earning thousands monthly—I can't even code."

I laughed, "Dude, that thinking is so 2020. With AI helping out now, a lot of things are way simpler than you think."

It's true—AI tools have developed so fast these past two years. I've used these tools to build quite a few small projects myself, and some actually made money. Today I want to chat about how regular folks can use AI tools to start side businesses.

Why This is the Perfect Time

The Barrier Really Has Dropped

I remember back in 2018 when I wanted to build a simple website, just learning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript took me two months. Now it's different.

Recently I helped my cousin build an online tool. I just talked to Cursor: "Help me make a QR code generator, keep it clean and nice-looking." Three hours later, the website was live.

My cousin was stunned: "That was way too fast!"

People Are Starting to Accept AI Products

Before, when I told clients something was made with AI, they'd think it was unreliable. Now it's different—after ChatGPT blew up, people actually think AI-made stuff is more professional.

My friend Zhang built an AI copywriting tool specifically for Taobao store owners to write product descriptions. In the first month alone he had over 200 paying users, and now his monthly income is stable around $2,100.

Opportunities Everywhere

The AI track is still pretty new, and many problems in traditional industries haven't been solved with AI yet.

Just from what I've observed recently:

• Someone uses AI to help lawyers write contracts, made $4,200 in a month
• Someone does AI fitness plans specifically for office workers
• Someone else uses AI to help elementary students grade essays

None of this is rocket science, but it genuinely solves problems.

A Few Directions I Think Are Solid

Honestly, starting an AI business is way simpler now than before. In the past, you needed a team, investors, office space. Now it's different—one person, one computer, a few AI tools, and you can build something decent.

I've been watching the space and found these 5 directions particularly good for individuals or small teams to test the waters:

1. Content Writing Tools for Small Businesses

Many small business owners have this pain point: they want to do social media, post updates, write product descriptions, but don't know how to write well.

My cousin runs a coffee shop. Before, his social posts were like "Nice weather today, come drink coffee." After using a friend's AI copywriting tool, his content became much more professional and he got more customers.

The tool is actually pretty simple:

• Use GPT-4 or Claude for content generation
• Add a simple web interface
• Deploy for free on Vercel

My friend specializes in copywriting tools for coffee shops, charges $42/month per shop, now has over 50 shops using it, making around $2,100 monthly.

2. Resume Improvement Service

Job hunting is tough, and resumes matter a lot, but many people can't write them well. Especially fresh graduates—their resumes read like grocery lists.

Li used to work in HR and knows what kind of resumes pass screening. Last year he started using AI for resume optimization services. Simple process: users upload their resume and target job, AI analyzes and gives improvement suggestions.

Technically not complex:

• Use GPT API to analyze resume-job fit
• Build a simple interface with Streamlit
• Deploy on Hugging Face for free

Charges $4 per resume, $14 monthly subscription. Now has 300-400 clients monthly, making over $1,400. The key is Li understands what HR people think and what kind of resumes get through.

3. Selling Prompt Templates

Everyone's using ChatGPT and Claude now, but many people don't know how to write good prompts. It's like everyone can use Word, but not everyone can write good copy.

I've seen people collect industry-specific prompts and package them as toolkits. Like:

• Legal: contract review, legal document templates
• Marketing: ad copy, campaign planning templates
• Teachers: lesson planning, assignment grading templates

Tech is simple—build a webpage with React, connect to GPT API. Deploy on Netlify or Firebase.

Sell by industry packages, $14-42 each. I know someone who makes lawyer prompt packages and sells dozens monthly.

4. Writing Scripts for Short Video Creators

Too many people doing short videos now, but most struggle with content ideas and scriptwriting.

Wang specializes in this business. Users tell him what type of video they want, he uses AI to generate scripts, titles, even voiceovers.

Tool combo:

• ChatGPT for scripts and titles
• ElevenLabs for voiceover generation
• Simple web interface

Charges per script, $1.4-7 depending on complexity. Mainly serves TikTok and Instagram creators, making around $1,100 monthly.

5. Helping Companies Monitor Competitors

Many small businesses want to know what competitors are doing but lack professional tools. Like e-commerce wanting to know when competitors drop prices or launch new products, restaurants wanting to know about nearby store promotions.

This has a higher technical barrier, need to know web scraping:

• Use Python + Playwright to scrape website data
• Use AI to analyze changes and generate reports
• Push to clients via email or messaging

Charge by number of monitored websites, $7-28 per website/month. Though technically more complex, customer retention is strong and quite profitable when done well.

Specific Startup Case Studies

Let me share some real cases from friends around me:

Case 1: AI Resume Optimization Service

My friend Li created an AI resume optimization service. Users upload their resumes, AI analyzes and provides optimization suggestions, and can customize resumes based on job requirements.

Tool Combination: Claude + Simple web interface Pricing Model: $4 per service, $14 monthly subscription Monthly Revenue: Stable at $1,100-1,700

Case 2: AI Social Media Copy Generation

My friend Wang specifically provides copy generation services for social media influencers. Input product information and style requirements, AI generates platform-appropriate copy.

Tool Combination: ChatGPT + WeChat mini-program Pricing Model: Per-copy pricing, $0.7-2.1 each Monthly Revenue: $850-1,400

Case 3: AI Design Material Store

My friend Zhang uses Midjourney to generate various design materials and sells them on multiple platforms.

Tool Combination: Midjourney + E-commerce platforms Pricing Model: Material package sales, $1.4-7 each Monthly Revenue: $700-2,100 (highly variable)

Key Success Factors

Based on these cases, I've identified several success factors:

1. Find Niche Needs

Don't try to build comprehensive products—focus on solving one specific problem. The more niche the market, the less competition, and the stronger users' willingness to pay.

2. Quickly Validate Ideas

Use the simplest methods to validate demand. You can test in friend circles or WeChat groups first to see if people are willing to pay.

3. Continuously Optimize Products

AI tools are constantly improving, and your products should evolve too. Regularly collect user feedback and improve the product experience.

4. Build User Trust

AI product quality isn't always stable, so building user trust is important. You can offer free trials or money-back guarantees.

Pitfalls to Avoid

1. Over-relying on AI

AI is a tool, not a panacea. Combine it with your experience and judgment—don't rely entirely on AI output.

2. Ignoring User Experience

No matter how good the technology, poor user experience kills products. Think from the user's perspective and simplify operations.

3. Pricing Too Low

Many new entrepreneurs worry that high prices will deter customers. Actually, good products aren't afraid of premium pricing—the key is demonstrating value.

4. Lacking Marketing Mindset

Building the product is just the first step—getting users to know about it and pay for it is crucial. Learn to package and promote your products.

Quick Start Guide

Finally, here's a practical comparison table to help you choose the right direction:

Startup Direction	Technical Barrier	Startup Cost	Expected Income	Recommended Platforms
AI Resume Optimization	Low (API calls)	$14-70	$700-2100/month	Personal website + Social groups
Logo Design Service	Low (Midjourney)	$10/month	$420-1400/month	Etsy + Social media
Copywriting Tool	Medium (Web dev)	$70-280	$1100-2800/month	Mini-program + Social
Video Script Service	Low (Templates)	$7-28	$700-2100/month	TikTok + Social media
Competitor Monitoring	High (Scraping)	$140-420	$1400-4200/month	Business WeChat + Email
AI Customer Service	Medium (API integration)	$280-700	$2100-7000/month	Local promotion

Beginner Recommendations

If you're a complete beginner, start with these:

1. AI Copywriting Service - Lowest barrier, highest demand
2. Logo Design - Low investment, quick results
3. Resume Optimization - Mature market, easy pricing

Advanced Directions

With some experience, consider:

1. Automation Tools - High technical value, strong customer retention
2. Industry Solutions - High expertise, rich profits
3. SaaS Services - Scalable, long-term revenue

Final Thoughts

Doing AI entrepreneurship doesn't need to be complicated. You don't have to build the next ChatGPT or raise millions in funding.

The key is finding real needs and using AI tools to solve them simply and directly. Often, a small tool solving a small problem can make money.

If you want to try, I suggest starting with these:

Direction	Difficulty	Platform
Content Tools	Easy, just need basic frontend	Deploy free on Vercel
Resume Service	Easy, Python basics	Free on Hugging Face
Prompt Tools	Medium, need React	Netlify or Firebase
Video Scripts	Easy, mainly creativity	WeChat mini-program or web
Monitoring Tools	Hard, need scraping skills	Heroku or own server

Don't overthink it, just start trying. Many successful projects began with a simple idea.