What is a lifestyle entrepreneur, and how to succeed in 2025?

Published: November 2025

Not everyone wants to build the next unicorn. For some, the real dream is simpler: more time, more freedom, and work that actually feels good to do. 

Recent data shows that around 70% of entrepreneurs started their own business because they wanted to change their lifestyle. 

If that sounds like you, think about becoming a solopreneur, or more specifically, a lifestyle entrepreneur. 

They don’t typically chase headcount or funding rounds (though they can if they want). Instead, they build businesses that fit their life. They care about cash flow, progress, and control and try to avoid chaos and burnout along the way.

In this guide, we’ll talk about what lifestyle entrepreneurship really means, the types of businesses that work best, pros & cons, and how to get started. 

Let’s dive in!

What is a lifestyle entrepreneur?

A lifestyle entrepreneur is a person who builds their business around the life they want to live. That might mean working from anywhere, setting their own schedule, or focusing on meaningful projects with just enough income to sustain the life they’ve designed.

Unlike the VC-backed founder chasing growth, lifestyle entrepreneurs think more about time and autonomy. They prefer customer-funded businesses, recurring revenue, and simple systems that don’t demand 80-hour weeks.

So, if you’ve ever thought, “I just want a profitable, flexible business that gives me control,” then lifestyle entrepreneurship is probably your lane.

But before you decide to fully commit to this path, we suggest digging deeper and getting to know this business model inside out.

So, what sets lifestyle entrepreneurs apart?

1. They are usually bootstrapped or lightly capitalized. 

2. They’re focused on steady, sustainable growth. 

3. These are typically solo founders or small teams (plus contractors).

4. They run lean.

5. Freedom is the primary target while profit is secondary. 

Of course, this doesn’t mean that the work is easy, but it is yours.

Types of lifestyle entrepreneurs 

Here are a few common paths that you can consider if you want to become a lifestyle entrepreneur:

1. Digital nomads Indie hackers, service pros, or content creators working from anywhere. 

2. Creative entrepreneurs These are people who create for a living, such as writers, designers, educators, and filmmakers. They turn what they know (or make) into income through things like online courses, cohort programs, newsletters, or memberships.

3. Coaches and consultants This is one of the fastest ways to get started. You work with people face-to-face, learn what works, and then offer group or more packaged services. 

4. Micro-SaaS You find a small, specific problem and solve it. Then charge monthly. 

5. Niche e-commerce You sell a small set of products to a specific group of people. No bloated catalogs or chasing trends; just a clear value prop, owned marketing channels, and solid fulfillment.

6. Content + community builders Start by sharing useful content, build an audience, then monetize with sponsorships, memberships, paid content, or events.

Examples of lifestyle entrepreneurs

If you want to check the success cases behind lifestyle entrepreneurship, here are some of them:

• Pieter Levels

Indie maker behind Nomad List and Remote OK. He writes code, ships fast, and automates wherever possible. His goal is to stay independent and keep living on his own terms.

• Marie Forleo

Built B-School, one of the most well-known online programs for creative entrepreneurs, along with MarieTV, her video series that blends business advice with mindset coaching.

• Natalie Sisson

Built her brand around a simple but powerful idea: you can run a business from anywhere, even out of a suitcase. She started by documenting her own journey of building an online business while traveling full-time, and that grew into The Suitcase Entrepreneur – a blog, a bestselling book, and a business helping others create location-independent lives.

Pros and cons of becoming a lifestyle entrepreneur

Pros: 

✅ You set the rules What your days look like, what you work on, and how big (or small) you want the business to be.

✅ You can work from anywhere This can be your kitchen table, a coworking space, or even a beach town in Portugal. As long as there’s Wi-Fi, you’re good.

✅ You stay lean and focused No need to manage a big team or juggle endless moving parts. It’s just you, doing the work that matters.

✅ You build something that feels like you You design the business around your own rhythm and goals. And it works the way you want it to work.

Cons:

❌ You’re doing everything From sending invoices to writing copy to handling support, it’s all on you in the beginning. And, of course, it can get tiring very fast.

❌ Your income won’t be consistent right away Some months will feel great, others… less so. It takes a bit of time to figure out what sells, what sticks, and how to smooth things out. That’s why it helps to have a small buffer.

❌ Taking a break isn’t always easy When you’re the one delivering the work, stepping away means things pause unless you build in systems or support.

❌ Some things won’t scale without help You might reach a point where you need to hire or raise money. That’s not a bad thing, but you’ll need to be intentional about it.

How to become a lifestyle entrepreneur

You don’t need a 40-page business plan or a perfect idea to get started. What you actually need is clarity on what you want out of this and a bit of structure.

Step 1: Start with the lifestyle you want

Before you even think about what to build, get really honest about what kind of life you’re designing this business for.

Ask yourself:

• What kind of work do I enjoy doing?

• What am I good at and will people pay for it?

• Where do I want to live and work?

• How much free time do I want day-to-day?

• Do I need $3K/month to feel good or $20K?

• How much structure do I want?

There are no right answers here. But the clearer you are, the easier every other decision gets. As you’re building a business to support your life, not the other way around.

Step 2: Choose your business model

Now, look at your answers and think about the kind of business that fits. Don’t try to choose the “best” model; just pick something that matches how you want to work.

Here are some common paths you may consider:

• Consulting or freelance: Quickest path to cash, trades time for money

• Courses, templates, or digital products: Build once, sell over and over

• Micro-SaaS or tools: Solve one problem really well and charge monthly

• Content or community-first: Build trust, then monetize with products or access

Step 3: Pressure-test your idea

This is where most people get stuck because they start overthinking instead of testing. The fastest way to know if your idea has legs is simply to talk to real people.

Have 5–10 conversations. Ask about the problem you’re solving, how they handle it now, and whether they’d pay for something better. Then sketch out a simple offer. What are you helping them do? What result are you promising? What’s the price?

Step 4: Build your basic stack

A fancy funnel or custom-coded platform is of no use. Just enough to look credible and collect money:

• A one-page website or landing page with a clear call-to-action (buy, book, or join)

• A payment link (Stripe, PayPal, whatever’s easy)

• An email tool to send your first onboarding messages

• A calendar if you’re booking calls 

• (Optional) A basic CRM if you’re juggling multiple clients or leads

Step 5: Launch and test your pricing

Now, it’s time to get your offer in front of real people. You can post in relevant communities, DM people you’ve spoken to before, try lightweight ads, or partner with someone who already has your audience. Start where you already have some trust, as it’ll save time.

As for pricing, you can test at least two options. Start with a higher anchor price, something that reflects the full value of what you’re offering, and then test a slightly lower price. This helps you see where people hesitate and what they’re actually willing to pay.

Step 6: Review, adjust, and plan your next move

Give yourself a clear review point after the first few weeks. Look at what worked, what didn’t, and where the energy is:

• Keep what’s getting traction

• Kill what’s slowing you down

• Write down any steps you’d repeat

From there, decide your next move. It could be launching a second offer, trying a new marketing channel, or bringing in help for the parts you’re tired of doing solo.

When it’s time to expand: hire, systemize, or raise?

At some point, doing it all yourself stops being the smart option. Not because you can’t, but because demand simply outgrows your capacity.

If that’s the point, you’ll start to notice the signs:

• You’re getting a steady stream of leads, and most are converting

• You’re booked solid, maybe even turning people away

• The business is working, but your calendar is packed

That’s when it’s better to move beyond operating solo, and here’s how to do it:

1. Start with systemizing

This is usually the least stressful, highest-ROI move. You need to turn what you’re already doing into repeatable steps, such as clear offers, mini-processes, onboarding emails, and templates. You can use simple tools (or no-code) to automate the stuff you’re tired of doing manually.

1. Hire slowly and intentionally

Once you’ve cleaned up your processes, bring in support where you’re stuck. This may be design, ops, admin, or client success areas. It’s totally okay to start with part-time or contractors. Your goal here is to protect your calendar, not manage a team full-time.

1. Raise capital only if it multiplies momentum

You don’t have to raise. But if the business is working, and you know that more resources would speed things up (without turning your life upside down), then it might be worth exploring.

If you choose fundraising, you’ll need a strong pitch, a solid financial model, and a sharp investor list. At Waveup, we help with all of that. We do know what investors expect to see and how to present your idea to them so that it can land you a term sheet. 

Or if you need a more flexible approach, you can try our subscription-based service Waves by Waveup, where you get support across copy, design, GTM, fundraising, or financials.

Final thoughts

When turning into lifestyle entrepreneurship, you’re choosing freedom, clarity, and control. You don’t need to build big; you just need to build something that works for the life you want.

So, start simple, get real feedback, and keep what works.

And if at some point you decide to grow and need help fundraising and crafting investment materials, we’re here to assist. Contact us and let’s discuss the details.

FAQs

What’s an example of a lifestyle business?

A freelance design studio, a niche newsletter with paid subscribers, a micro-SaaS built by one person, or a productized consulting offer are examples of lifestyle businesses. The thing that unites them is that they’re built to support the founder’s ideal way of living rather than chasing profit and scale.

How is a lifestyle entrepreneur different from a traditional entrepreneur?

A lifestyle entrepreneur builds a business to support their life in terms of freedom, flexibility, and personal fulfillment. A traditional entrepreneur, in contrast, is usually focused on growth, hiring, or raising capital.

What does a lifestyle startup actually mean?

It’s a business built to support your life. You’re not trying to raise millions or hire a huge team. You just want something profitable, flexible, and simple enough to run without burning out.