Did you know that you can make money by sharpening knives?
Knife sharpening is a great side hustle because there’s a lot of demand for it. Everyone has knives in their kitchen, but very few people know how to sharpen and maintain them properly.
Many businesses also use knives and shears, including hair salons, restaurants, tailors, and print shops. If you land a few recurring contracts with local businesses, you could make a lot of money.
Professional knife sharpeners usually charge between $30 and $60 per hour. So even if you only work 15 hours a week, you may be able to bring in as much as $3,600 every month.
With that money, you could pay off debt, save for retirement, or build a college fund for your kids. Read on to learn how to make money by sharpening knives and achieve your financial goals.
Learn How to Sharpen Knives
If you’ve never sharpened knives before, you’ll need to learn how.
The Work Sharp knife and tool sharpener is one of the easiest tools to get started with, and it only costs around $70. It can sharpen a wide variety of blades, including pocket knives, kitchen knives, scissors, and garden tools.
You can figure out how to use it by watching instructional videos online and testing it out on your own kitchen knives.
Market Your Services
Once you feel confident in your skills, you can start offering your services for a fee and make money by sharpening knives.
A great way to get your first few customers is to offer your services to friends and family. Make a post on your personal social media accounts to let people in your network know that you sharpen knives.
You can also attract potential customers by setting up a Google My Business listing, Facebook, and Instagram for your knife sharpening services. If you have some startup capital, you can even buy some Google ads targeted at people in your local area.
Cold Call Local Businesses
Lots of businesses like landscaping companies and restaurants need their tools and knives sharpened on a regular basis. You may be able to get a lucrative recurring contract by cold calling small businesses in your area or visiting their storefronts in person.
Let them know about what you do and offer to give them a demo for free. Once they see what a great job you do with their tools, they may hire you to come back and sharpen them monthly.
Get a Booth at the Farmer’s Market
Another marketing method that has worked well for several knife sharpeners is to get a booth at your local farmer’s market. Customers can drop off their knives at your booth, shop around at the market, and come back when you’re done sharpening them.
Steve Bottorff says that his booth always draws a crowd. On his best days, he sharpens more than 100 knives and makes over $500.
If you need some extra cash, you can make a lot of money by sharpening knives. The average knife sharpener charges $30 to $60 per hour, which makes it a pretty lucrative business even if you’re doing it part-time.
Vicky Monroe is a freelance personal finance and lifestyle writer. When she’s not busy writing about her favorite money saving hacks or tinkering with her budget spreadsheets, she likes to travel, garden, and cook healthy vegetarian meals.