How People Are Earning Passive Income With This Simple Setup
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
The dream of making money while you sleep is no longer a fantasy – it's a reality for thousands of entrepreneurs running autopilot ecommerce stores. These businesses generate handsome revenue with minimal daily effort, thanks to the dropshipping business model and smart automation tools.
Dropshipping is gaining momentum now for several key reasons. The global market was valued at $365.67 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to $1.25 trillion by 2030, according to Grand View Research.
Join top CEOs, founders and operators at the Level Up conference to unlock strategies for scaling your business, boosting revenue and building sustainable success.
At the same time, AI tools have become more accessible, allowing non-technical entrepreneurs to streamline product selection, marketing and customer service. These tools are now essential for top sellers — not because they're tech experts, but because the technology finally works for everyday users. As a result, many successful dropshippers are earning between $10,000 and $50,000 a month while working fewer hours than a part-time barista.
It's not just the money – it's watching your kid's soccer game on a Tuesday afternoon, taking that spontaneous road trip, or finally having energy for date night after work.
Related: 8 Passive Income Ideas That Are Actually Worth Pursuing
How autopilot stores work
Unlike traditional ecommerce, autopilot stores rely on specialized automated systems, not manual work. Today's solutions are like having a team of invisible employees. Here's the breakdown:
1. Turnkey stores
Ready-to-go ecommerce websites with implemented payment systems and fully packed catalogs help avoid tons of manual work, product research and building stores from scratch.
AI-powered tools identify trending items and build high-demand product collections, ready to sell.
2. Automated order fulfillment
Suppliers ship products directly to customers — no inventory needed.
Established dropshipping platforms auto-process orders, saving 10+ hours/week.
3. Automated marketing
The auto-promotion tools bring sales from Day 1.
Ready-to-go marketing materials are used for ad campaigns.
AI-generated blog and social media posts drive organic traffic.
How to start your own automated store (5 steps)
Pick a proven niche. Use Google Trends to spot demand or contact a business advisor. Pick a trusted turnkey store provider. Better yet, choose an all-in-one ecommerce platform that handles everything, from business launch and marketing to order shipping. Before finalizing your decision, make sure the platform provides a pre-set payment system, a pre-loaded product catalog and access to the product database for future additions. Launch your store. Don't hesitate to contact the platform's support team if you have questions. Set up automation. Implement available tools like automated order processing, packing and shipping. All logistics should be solved by your provider, and all orders should be shipped from suppliers directly to your customers on your behalf (dropshipping business model). Launch traffic on autopilot. Outsource marketing services for hands-off promotion. Implement pre-made, ready-to-go creatives for ads. Use AI-generated blog and social media posts for organic traffic. Watch orders roll in. Respond to customer emails as they arrive. This may be the only task worth keeping manual. Optimize & scale. Reinvest profits into scaling winning products. Expand to new channels like Amazon.
Here are three automated store examples. For privacy, the names have been changed, but the numbers are real.
Success story #1: The busy pet lover
Sarah, a former veterinary assistant, turned her passion for animals into a thriving online business selling pet fitness trackers. While working part-time at a local clinic, she launched her store with pre-selected products and automated marketing.
Within six months, she was earning $18,000 monthly while dedicating just three hours per week, mostly spent reviewing new product suggestions from her provider. The automated systems handle everything from ads to order fulfillment, letting her focus on volunteering at animal shelters.
Related: 'Obvious' Side Hustle: From $300k Monthly to $20M+ in 2025
Success story #2: The weekend car enthusiast
What began as a hobby browsing luxury car forums became a surprise income stream for Tony, an auto mechanic. He noticed enthusiasts struggling to find premium accessories for high-end vehicles and set up a targeted dropshipping store.
His $25,000/month profits now exceed his repair shop earnings, achieved through just four weekly hours of responding to customer emails and occasionally adding new products. The store's self-running ads and pre-negotiated supplier relationships do the heavy lifting.
Success story #3: The yoga teacher
Maya, a certified yoga instructor, started selling eco-friendly mats as an afterthought to her classes. When her store's AI-generated blog posts about sustainable fitness went viral, she scaled to $12,500/month with minimal involvement. The business requires just two hours weekly – approving AI-generated content and reviewing sales data. Her secret? Letting automated email sequences convert first-time buyers into repeat customers while she teaches morning classes.
These entrepreneurs prove you don't need endless hours or upfront inventory to build a successful business. With the right niche and automation, $10K+ monthly profits in just 2-4 hours per week are possible — whether you're a pet lover, car enthusiast or yoga teacher. Just pick a passion, launch a store, set up automation and let your store work while you live.
Related: 23 Ways Entrepreneurs are Making Passive Income a Reality
Your next move
Spend 10 minutes on Google Trends Screenshot 3 niche ideas Bookmark 2-3 platform options (look for free trials) Load the information from all platforms into your favorite AI tool and request help with making a choice
This week:
Launch your test store Enable automation Watch for that first order notification
The platforms offer free trials because they know the hardest part isn't the tech – it's taking that first step while the couch and Netflix call your name.
But here's the truth: A year from now, you'll wish you'd started today.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
I'm a Financial Advisor: 15 Retirement Mistakes That Could Cost You $100K or More
Retirement planning seems straightforward until you realize how many ways it can go wrong. Financial advisors see the same costly mistakes over and over again — errors that can easily cost retirees six figures or more. Find Out: Read Next: Here are the biggest retirement blunders that could derail your financial future. Pay close attention and save a bundle! The Foundation Killers These mistakes could really mess things up from the start. 1. Living Above Your Means 'If you spend more than you earn, your future retirement savings shrinks,' explained April Taylor, financial coach and founder of Jr. Moguls. This isn't just about fancy cars or expensive vacations. Instead, it's about consistently spending more than you bring in, which makes it impossible to save properly for retirement. Learn More: 2. Delaying Retirement Savings Taylor shared that 'time is your biggest asset — the earlier you start contributing to a retirement plan, the more opportunity you have for your money to grow.' She added that even small, consistent contributions can build into six figures over time. For self-employed individuals, this delay is particularly costly. Gina Stoddard, chief of staff at Broad Financial, said entrepreneurs who stall on starting retirement accounts 'can miss out on nearly $30,000-$150,000 a year depending on their income over the course of their career.' 3. Ignoring Inflation 'Inflation is inevitable, and rising costs must be factored into your retirement plan,' Taylor said. In other words, if your money isn't growing, it's losing value. That can be a real shocker when it's time to retire. The Diversification Disasters With these mistakes, if one thing goes wrong, they could really cost you. 4. Putting All Your Eggs in One Basket Stoddard warned about being 'overly concentrated in Wall Street products and traditional equities.' She explained that 'your savings can possibly undergo a dramatic dip if the stock market descends.' The potential cost of failing to diversify? 'Upwards of $100,000+,' she said. 5. Ignoring Alternative Investments 'Alternative investments are a proven method to achieve diversification, as their value typically works inversely to the public market,' Stoddard noted. She mentioned that self-directed retirement accounts can invest in real estate, precious metals, private businesses, creative pursuits and more. 6. Being Too Conservative Too Soon Retirement can have a 20- to 30-year time horizon, said Bethany Dever, vice president and relationship manager at Rockland Trust. She explained that 'moving too much of your assets to bonds or cash (80%-100%) too early in retirement in the hopes of protecting your nest egg can cause damage to your long-term goals due to underperformance.' Potential cost to a $1 million portfolio: $500,000 to $1.2 million in potential growth. The Tax and Legal Landmines Taxes and other legal matters can get more complicated in retirement, so you'll want to make sure to avoid these mistakes. 7. Forgetting To Update Beneficiaries 'I worked on a case where the ex-spouse received $250,000 from an IRA because the beneficiary designation had not been updated when the divorce occurred,' said Seann Malloy, founder and managing partner at Malloy Law Offices. He added that it's important to periodically revisit and ensure these designations remain 'in harmony' with your estate plan. 8. Underestimating Tax Impact on Withdrawals Malloy explained that clients often don't understand that drawing particularly large sums from tax-deferred plans can push them into higher tax brackets. He gave an example: 'A $100,000 withdrawal could incur $30,000 in taxes if it kicks your income into the 32% bracket.' 9. Violating IRA Rules Stoddard warned about prohibited transactions in self-directed IRAs, which 'could potentially trigger immediate taxation on the full amount within your IRA, plus withdrawal penalties.' She estimated this could result in a loss of about $50,000-$100,000 in taxes. The Social Security and Healthcare Missteps Social Security and healthcare are incredibly important in retirement, so make sure you have those ducks in a row. 10. Claiming Social Security Too Early Dever shared that claiming at age 62 instead of waiting for full retirement age can reduce monthly benefits by up to 30% permanently. She also pointed out that 'for every year you delay claiming Social Security past your FRA, you get an 8% increase to your benefit.' Potential cost: $100,000-$300,000 in lost lifetime benefits. 11. Underestimating Healthcare Costs Taylor warned that 'ailing to plan for healthcare in retirement can quickly drain your savings. Dever cited a Fidelity study showing that 'a 65-year-old couple retiring today will need $330,000 for healthcare expenses in retirement.' Potential cost: $300,000 The Withdrawal Catastrophes Retiring doesn't include just taking out your money whenever you want. There are good and bad ways to do that. 12. Cashing Out 401(k) Early Cashing out of your 401(k) early can be a costly mistake. 'Not only will you incur penalties and taxes now, but you'll also impact your future retirement by reducing the time your investments have to grow,' Taylor said. 13. Missing Required Minimum Distributions Both Stoddard and Dever emphasized the costly penalties for missing RMDs. 'If you miss the deadline to withdraw your RMDs, you could be fined with a 25% penalty of the missed allotted withdrawal amount,' Stoddard explained. This could range anywhere from $10,000-$50,000. 14. Withdrawing Too Much Too Soon Dever referenced the 4% rule, explaining that 'having a more than 4% distribution rate early on can cause a depletion of assets later in retirement.' Potential cost: Running out of money five to 10 years early. The Strategy Mistakes A retirement without a strategy is not the retirement you want. 15. Not Using a Financial Planner Heath Harris, founder of Compound Advisory, spoke about one of his clients who sold an HVAC business without tax planning. It was a mistake. 'Between federal capital gains, NIIT and state taxes, he paid close to $3 million straight to the IRS,' he said. With proper planning, Harris estimated they 'could've saved him about $1.7 million.' The moral of the story? It might be smart to seek expert help from, well, an expert. (This is especially true when dealing with large sums of money.) More From GOBankingRates 5 Cities You Need To Consider If You're Retiring in 2025 This article originally appeared on I'm a Financial Advisor: 15 Retirement Mistakes That Could Cost You $100K or More Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Bloomberg
26 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Allegra Stratton: Cyber Insecurity, yet Another Threat to Watch
News that Chinese hackers exploited a vulnerability in Microsoft's SharePoint to hack into hundreds of businesses will have sent (another) shiver through C-suite group chats the world over. In the week since it emerged, it's become clear that some 400 governments, corporations and institutions have been pole-axed by it, and Bloomberg's team has been across all angles. Most alarmingly, our journalists reported that this round of hacks included the US National Nuclear Security Administration – the body responsible for maintaining and designing the US's cache of nuclear weapons. Even though classified information doesn't appear to have been accessed, experts told our team that information about employees could nonetheless be exploited.
Forbes
26 minutes ago
- Forbes
What's The Best B2B Thought-Leadership Content?
Great B2B thought leadership starts with a sharp point of view—but it lives or dies by the strength ... More of the story. Companies in B2B are creating large amounts of content. But not everyone is creating thought leadership. As more companies invest in thought leadership programs, many teams are asking a deceptively simple question: What's the best type of B2B thought-leadership content? If you're hoping for a list of formats ranked by performance—white papers vs. videos vs. webinars—you'll be disappointed. That's because the best type of thought leadership content isn't a format at all. It's an idea, shaped and delivered with clarity and confidence. That's what sets it apart. As someone who works with teams scaling thought leadership programs, I've seen this truth consistently validated: The best thought-leadership content isn't about the container. It's about the content strategy—how the idea is framed, who it's for, the evidence offered, and how it serves. Let's unpack what that looks like in practice. 1. The Best Thought-Leadership Content Solves a Real Problem The most effective thought leadership is problem-led. It meets the audience at a point of tension—an emerging risk, a blind spot, a misunderstood opportunity—and provides a perspective they haven't heard before. This is the fundamental test: Does the content help your audience make a smarter decision? Avoid a misstep? Spot something they hadn't considered? If it doesn't, it's not thought-leadership writing. It's just content. Strong thought-leadership content doesn't just reflect what your company knows—it's what your audience needs to know now, before a competitor tells them first. 2. Thought-Leadership Content Starts with a Big, Original Idea If the problem is the entry point, the big idea is the differentiator. This is the 'aha' that makes your point of view both credible and memorable. It's not always contrarian, but it is distinctive. It often challenges conventional wisdom or reframes a known challenge in a surprising way. The big idea is the hardest part to get right. It takes synthesis, insight, and courage. It rarely comes from recycled slide decks or client deliverables. It often emerges from patterns your team sees across engagements, data anomalies, or observations from employees with client contact. This is where many B2B firms miss an opportunity: They look only to the C-suite for thought leadership. But the best ideas often come from deep inside the organization—product leads who notice shifting customer behavior, delivery consultants who see what clients are struggling with, or data scientists who spot a trend nobody's talking about yet. At IBM, for instance, their Institute for Business Value brings together contributors from across functions—data teams, legal, ethics, operations—to create content on topics like trust in AI. That diversity of perspective gives their ideas depth and makes them useful to a wide audience. 3. The Best Thought-Leadership Content Is Framed With Journalistically Once you have a good idea, the next step is framing. This is where strong content can become part of a body of work that is thought leadership. Framing means answering: Why does this idea matter now? Who is it for? What decision does it inform? What change does it propose? Most thought leadership underperforms because it never gets framed clearly. The idea is buried, or it's too safe, or it's framed around the company's expertise instead of the reader's need. In our story workshops, we teach people to use a journalistic lens to frame their ideas—looking for the tension, the angle, and the urgency. That's how you turn a generic headline into something specifically useful for your target reader. 4. The Format Follows the Idea Once the idea is clear and the frame is sharp, then you can ask: What's the best way to deliver this content? Different ideas require different formats. A highly technical breakdown might belong in a deep-dive study. A bold contrarian take might work best as a punchy op-ed. A story-rich insight may shine in a podcast or video. Remember, format follows the idea—not the other way around. 5. The Best Thought-Leadership Content Is Authentically Sourced The strongest content programs don't just rely on senior leaders to define the agenda. They mine the organization for signals—bringing in perspectives from across roles, regions, and disciplines. This 'inside-out' approach creates thought-leadership content that feels lived-in, not parachuted in. At Accenture, for example, their thought leadership engine includes researchers around the world, many of them domain experts embedded with clients. That proximity to real-world problems makes their ideas feel timely, relevant, and grounded in action. Great content leaders know how to listen across the organization, surface promising sparks, and work with subject-matter experts (SMEs) to shape them into bold narratives. That's part editorial, part cultural. 6. Strong content Performs by Being Useful In B2B, buyers and decision-makers are not short on content. They're short on time and clarity. The best thought-leadership content earns attention by delivering utility. That doesn't mean checklists or how-tos—but it does mean clarity, structure, and ideas that make the complex feel it can be navigated. Useful content helps readers do things like: When your audience finishes reading and says, 'That helped me think,' you've done your job as a writer or publisher. 7. Thought-Leadership Content Is Written with Discipline and Flair The final differentiator is in the execution. Great thought leadership is readable. It's structured. It has voice. It cuts the fat. Many companies confuse dense language with credibility. Instead, the best content is clear, not complicated. Write with: Writing like a thought leader isn't about writing to sound smart. It's about being generous with your knowledge and guiding your audience through complexity with care and concern. It's the kind that starts with a fresh idea framed journalistically and delivered in the best-fitting format for that idea. It's content that solves real problems, reflects diverse expertise, and is built to help solve important problems—not to sell. Ask yourself if your content: If you want to lead with your content, don't ask 'Should we do a podcast or a white paper?' Instead, ask, 'What's the idea that only we can own?' Then build your thought-leadership content around that idea.
