Here are 6 unexpected and unique businesses to start right now that can earn 6 figures or more

When Marcus Gram started his vending-machine company, he considered it a stepping stone to real-estate investing. Vending machines don't require as much capital to start and can eventually earn passive income, which requires less daily upkeep.

Gram started his business in 2018 with $10,000 in savings. Today his company, Joyner Vending, operates 18 vending machines in four states. It generated more than $307,000 in revenue last year, which Insider verified with documentation.

Read more: A 31-year-old entrepreneur made $300,000 from vending-machine sales and passive income last year. Here's how he built his business.

Read more: A Gen Z entrepreneur made $119,000 in vending-machine sales since graduating college. Here's how she built her business.

Building and selling websites can be similar to real estate, only you're dealing with online property. The aim is to purchase an inexpensive domain name, build a new website with useful and search-engine-optimized content, then earn passive income from ads and affiliate links. You can also choose to sell the site for a profit.

That's what Chelsea Clarke does through her business, Blogs for Sale. In 2020, she earned $127,000 from flipping 13 websites and brokering sales for 50 more, Insider verified through documents.

Read more: Chelsea Clarke reveals 6 tips that helped her earn $127,000 last year flipping websites.

Mimi Striplin owns The Tiny Tassel, a boutique and online store based in Charleston, South Carolina. Last year, she started hosting live-shopping events on Instagram and Facebook to expand her customer base. After her first show, sales increased by nearly 50%. In 2021, her store made more than $970,000 in total sales, which Insider verified with documentation.

But you don't have to have a storefront to sell a product online. Many sellers start livestreaming in their homes, hawking collectibles or handmade items. The live-shopping market is estimated to be worth $6 billion this year and $25 billion by 2023, according to Coresight Research.

Read more: How a Charleston boutique owner netted $970,000 in sales last year with Instagram and Facebook live shopping.

Some people leverage knowledge gained from their previous jobs to find success as a freelancer on Upwork, like Evan Fisher.

Fisher was an investment banker for six years and switched to consulting before losing his job in 2017. He quickly discovered the freelancing platform and decided to specialize in designing pitch decks that startups could use to secure venture capital.

So far, Fisher has earned $1.6 million in payments, which Insider verified with documentation. He found success helping companies craft the best possible pitch decks because he doesn't follow a template — he customizes each deck according to that specific business' needs. His pitch decks have helped companies secure funding from leading VC firms such as Tiger Management and SoftBank.

Read more: How a 34-year-old freelancer earned $1.6 million on Upwork designing pitch decks for startups backed by SoftBank and Andreessen Horowitz.

Read more: How a 32-year-old freelancer earned $1.3 million on Upwork designing presentations for Fortune 500 companies like Microsoft and Coca-Cola.

When international and domestic travel slowed during the pandemic, glamping's popularity skyrocketed as more people turned to nearby outdoor getaways. The growth of the glamping industry is expected to continue, with experts predicting it will grow at a rate of more than 18% between 2020 and 2026.

Kenny Young decided to build a glamping business at the age of 21, after he felt burnt out from his work as a youth pastor. He was passionate about the outdoors and soon launched Pitched Glamping, delivering at-home camping experiences to people living in Arizona and Minnesota. The business made more than $125,000 in revenue in 2020, according to documentation Insider verified, and now employs seven people, including Young's wife.

Read more: How a Minnesota youth pastor burned out, got fired, and started a 6-figure glamping business.

A recent report by remote-work-and-market analyst NanoGlobals showed that the virtual-assistant industry boomed in 2020, with 41% more assistants hired that year compared to 2019. As more companies look for contract workers to hire for short-term projects and administrative work, the industry will continue to grow, according to the financial-news company MarketWatch.

Aubree Malick quit her job as an elementary-school teacher in 2018 to build a virtual-assistant business, using her administrative skills to help companies with small tasks. In 2021, she earned $105,735 in revenue, according to documentation Insider verified. She also has her own course, called The Prep, to help other teachers and mothers become virtual assistants.

Read more: Aubree Malick left education to have more boundaries in her life and became a virtual assistant. Now, she helps other teachers do the same.

Read more: VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS: How to start your own business, create a flexible schedule, and make six figures in revenue.