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- SHW - How to Start a Chatbot Creation Business- Spotlight #88
SHW - How to Start a Chatbot Creation Business- Spotlight #88
Read more to find out how you can start this profitable side hustle today plus tips and tricks to make starting a business easier
Welcome Back To Side Hustle Weekly!
I’m excited to share with you another great side hustle you can start today! Today we will be discussing how you can start a chatbot creation business for other businesses.
How To Make Money With Chatbots
How to Start an AI Chatbot Creator Business From Scratch
Build smart AI assistants for businesses, automate their operations, and turn cutting-edge tech into a $10K+/month income stream.
AI chatbots are no longer a “future trend” — they’re a business necessity. Companies everywhere are racing to automate customer support, sales, bookings, lead generation, and internal workflows. And here’s the opportunity most people miss:
Businesses don’t want to build chatbots themselves — they want someone to do it for them.
That’s where you come in.
An AI chatbot creator business lets you design, customize, and deploy AI-powered bots for companies — without needing to be a programmer. With the right tools, systems, and positioning, this business can grow into a highly scalable, recurring-revenue operation.
Let’s break it down step by step.
Step 1: Understand the AI Chatbot Business Model
An AI chatbot creator builds custom bots that help businesses:
Answer customer questions 24/7
Book appointments automatically
Qualify leads
Handle FAQs
Provide product recommendations
Collect emails and phone numbers
Assist internal teams
You charge businesses for:
Setup fees ($500–$3,000+)
Monthly retainers ($100–$1,000+/month)
Ongoing optimization & support
Just 10 clients paying $500/month equals $5,000 in recurring income.
Step 2: Choose a Profitable Niche (Critical for Growth)
The fastest way to succeed is to focus on one type of business.
High-paying chatbot niches include:
Real estate agencies
Medical clinics & dental offices
Law firms
E-commerce stores
Gyms & fitness studios
Restaurants & hospitality
Coaches & consultants
Local service businesses (plumbers, HVAC, cleaning)
When you specialize, you:
Build bots faster
Reuse templates
Speak the client’s language
Charge higher prices
Step 3: Learn No-Code AI Tools (No Programming Required)
You do not need to know how to code.
Modern AI tools allow drag-and-drop chatbot creation with natural language intelligence.
Popular tools include:
AI chatbot builders
Automation platforms
CRM integrations
Website widget tools
You’ll learn how to:
Design conversation flows
Train bots on business-specific data
Connect bots to websites, social media, and messaging apps
Automate responses and actions
Most tools can be mastered in 1–2 weeks.
Step 4: Build Your First Chatbot (Practice Project)
Before charging clients, build a demo bot.
Create a chatbot that:
Greets visitors
Answers FAQs
Collects contact info
Books appointments
Sends follow-up messages
You can build:
A demo for a fake business
A chatbot for your own website
A bot for a friend’s business (free or discounted)
This becomes your proof of skill.
Step 5: Package Your Services for Easy Sales
Avoid hourly pricing. Use clear packages.
Example offers:
Starter Bot – $750 setup + $149/month
Growth Bot – $1,500 setup + $299/month
Advanced AI Assistant – $3,000 setup + $599/month
Monthly fees include:
Hosting
Maintenance
Updates
Performance optimization
Recurring income is where this business explodes.
Step 6: Find Your First Clients Fast
You don’t need ads to start.
Proven ways to get clients:
Cold email local businesses
DM business owners on Instagram or LinkedIn
Join Facebook groups for your niche
Offer a free chatbot audit
Partner with marketing agencies
Walk into local businesses and pitch automation
Businesses are often shocked when they see how much time and money a chatbot can save them.
Step 7: Automate Delivery & Onboarding
Once you land clients, speed matters.
Create templates for:
Client onboarding forms
Chatbot setup workflows
Training data intake
Launch checklists
Use automation tools to:
Collect business info
Deploy bots quickly
Send invoices
Monitor performance
This allows you to manage many clients at once with minimal effort.
Step 8: Scale With a Team (Make It Hands-Off)
To grow beyond $5K–$10K/month, stop doing everything yourself.
Hire:
Chatbot builders – Customize bots using your templates
Automation specialists – Handle integrations
Virtual assistants – Manage client communication
Account managers – Handle renewals and upsells
Now you become the business owner, not the technician.
Step 9: Add a Sales & Outreach Team
This is where the business becomes automated.
A small sales team can:
Cold email businesses daily
Book discovery calls
Follow up with leads
Upsell existing clients
Pitch white-label chatbot services
Start with commission-based reps so you only pay for results.
This turns your chatbot business into a lead-generating machine that runs even when you’re offline.
Estimated Monthly Income Potential
Here’s what scaling looks like:
Beginner
3–5 clients
$1,500–$4,000/month
Growing Business
10–20 clients
$5,000–$12,000/month
Automated Agency
30–50 clients
Team + sales system
$15,000–$40,000+/month
Because of retainers, income compounds over time.
Websites & Software You’ll Need
AI chatbot builder platforms
Automation tools
CRM software
Website builder (for your agency site)
Payment processor (Stripe, PayPal)
Project management tool (ClickUp, Notion)
Most tools cost $50–$200/month total.
Products to Buy to Maximize Results
Laptop or desktop computer
Second monitor (huge productivity boost)
Headset for client calls
Canva Pro for marketing assets
CRM subscription
Outreach email tool
Scheduling software
Requirements to Start
Basic computer skills
Willingness to learn AI tools
Sales communication ability
Internet connection
Time to build templates and systems
Pros
Massive demand
High profit margins
Recurring revenue
No inventory
No coding required
Highly scalable
Future-proof industry
Cons
Learning curve at the start
Client expectations must be managed
Competition is increasing
Requires clear onboarding systems
That’s A Wrap
I hope you enjoyed today’s post and if you have any questions about the post, upcoming posts, how to advertise, or anything else, feel free to reply. See you next time with another money-making post, helping you boost your income!
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