Do you want to make quick cash this coming Valentine season but lack business ideas? If YES, here are 50 sure ways to make money fast on Valentine’s day. Valentine’s Day is one of the most popular days known and celebrated the world over. It is a day specially set aside for lovers to celebrate their love.
Lovers exchange gifts between themselves on this day, and these gifts are mainly in the form of chocolates, flowers, cards and toys. While Valentine’s Day is traditionally for lover, it is also a great day for anyone that wants to make quick cash. One can do this by investing in the many small businesses that typically thrive during this love filled period.
Statistics have it that Valentine’s Day is the third largest consumer holiday in the united states, and it has seen starry eyed lovers shelling out more than $18 billion each year. In 2017, over $136 million was spent in the name of love; 180 million cards were exchanged and over 198 million flowers left the shops on that day.
These staggering numbers are enough to get the business savvy mind thinking on how to get a slice of this very fabulous cake. If you are such a mind, here are a few small businesses that are sure to net you quite some profits on this special day of lovers.
How to Make Money Fast on Valentine’s Day
Open a love themed gift shop
You can open a temporary store that will be stocked with very romantic gift items like jewelries, tee shirts with love sayings, rings and other intimate items that you think lovers may need to make their valentine a memorable one. In order to make much profit, you can order for these items way ahead of the valentine period; maybe during the black Friday sales.
As long as the items will not expire, you are bound to make huge profits from sales. You can set up in your garage or some other place in your neighborhood, or you can take your gifts from place to place.
Sell candies
Companies that manufacture chocolates and candies make over double the profits they make for the rest of the year just during the valentine’s period. You can take advantage of this by purchasing chocolates and candies in bulk and selling them in small quantities on that day. You can target people who are too busy to shop for these items.
Retail teddy bears
Every girl’s best friend is a teddy bear. They can hug it all day and share their deepest secrets with it; and any man who is trying to warm his way into the heart of a woman should know that teddy bear is a must on valentine’s day.You can source for different types of teddies, especially ones that have the Valentine colours of red and white, and retail them to lovers. Note that you have to package the teddy bears very attractively so they would make very alluring gifts.
Make and sell scented candles
Some couples may not like to go a restaurant to have a romantic dinner. One of the couples may opt to prepare a homemade dinner and invite the other partner over to come spend sometime with him or her. Scented candles are needed to complete such romantic dinners.
Where you come in is that you can produce or buy scented candles in bulk and sell. If you are the one manufacturing the candle, you should ensure that the scent is not repulsive, so that it will not put people off.
Offer gift wrapping service
Everybody loves to keep their partner guessing what is inside the package until it is time to unwrap the gifts. That is why wrapping is one service that will boom during the valentine’s period because not everybody has the patience sit down and meticulously wrap a gift for their partner or spouse, when they can pay a small fee to get it done.
You can also sell wrapping papers with romantic or love drawings on them. If you are fast enough in handling the wrapping job, you can use this service to make some real money during the valentine’s period.
Design love themed cards
If you are very creative both with your hands and with graphics designing, you can design your own line of love themed cards that lovers can gift to one another. These cards are relatively easy to make, but in order to ensure to make great sales; you have to be really ingenious.
Also, you need to be savvy or even lyrical with your words in order to touch lovers at their core. If your words and design are really emotional, people would definitely pick your cards over others. You need to start making these cards early, maybe around January, so that you would have stock ready and waiting for February 14.
You can sell your cards on Etsy, Bonanza, and a host of other sites that cater to such items. You can find colored envelopes at your local office-supply or craft store, and be sure to account for the cost of materials and shipping when pricing so you can make a decent profit.
Step in as a delivery agent
A lot of companies, especially those whose services are essential on that day can easily get stumped with orders, and again, not all companies offer home deliveries.
You can take good advantage of this opportunity by identifying some of the businesses that are particularly relevant around Valentine’s Day and contact them to see what their delivery needs are. Businesses like florists, gift shops, bakeries etc may be able to use an extra hand. You can take advantage of your success in this business to set up your own part time delivery service.
Shuttle service for party goers
Do you have a functioning car? You could wash your car till it sparkles and put it on the road to ferry lovers to and from dates.
This is a great way to take advantage of the Valentine’s Day. With a lot of people set to go on dates that evening, taxi services are likely not to keep up with orders. You can start by marketing your service to your friends and family members, but you have to ensure that no person’s time clashes with the other. You can bill per hour or based on miles run.
Become a private chef
It is valentine’s day, and a lot of starry eyed lovers would want some private time alone by themselves. If your culinary skills are top notch, you can offer to whip up multi course meals for lovers at their homes while they just relax with glasses of wine and stare into each other’s eyes.
Your meal of course should be complete with candles, ambient lighting, and mood-setting music. You should ensure you set your fee to accommodate the ingredients, travel, and time spent setting up, cooking, and cleaning after the meal.
Write letters for lovers
A lot of people flounder when it comes to pouring their hearts content on a paper or a mail. If you are very skilled at weaving words together in such a way as to melt the most stony of hearts, then you can use this skill to net yourself a tidy sum during Valentine.
You can put up a little advert to that effect on you Facebook page, or you can start with your friends whom you would encourage to market your services through word of mouth. Charge a reasonable sum and you may likely stay busy throughout the period and beyond.
Plan dates for people
Everybody has their strengths, but men aren’t always the best at planning special, exciting, or romantic dates. There are some creative guys out there, for sure, but for the most part, the male of the species needs help in this area. If you happen to excel in this department, you can help people plan a great evening, and then do the due diligence so you can get paid by setting up the date to ensure that it goes off without a hitch.
Become a baby sitter
Even parents do deserve a break from parental duties on this day to reassess their love. You can cash in big if you have the skills, certifications, and patience to babysit while Mom and Dad enjoy a night out on the town.
According to UrbanSitter’s 2015 Babysitting and Nanny Rates Survey, you are looking at about $15 per hour for one child, and upwards of $20 per hour if the children are up to three. Add in a 15 to 20 percent tip plus pizza money and you could take home a legit pay.
Offer to pet sit
Similar to babysitting, pet parents also need someone to take care of the pet(s) while they have fun. Also pet parents may not worry about their pets if they would be gone for just a few hours, they only worry if they would be gone for a whole day or more. For pet sitting, you can expect between $10 and $15 per hour, as estimated by Care.com’s pet care calculator.
Bake valentine cakes
Cakes are one dessert that serves as gift during this period. You can bake up a batch and ship them off to stores, cafés and restaurants near you. Alternatively, you can bake special ones for friends and coworkers at a small fee that of course should cover your expenses while having a little profit left over. You could also add pastries and cookies to your offerings.
- Sell some of your unwanted jewelry
If you have a collection of jewelry that you want to overhaul, you may be able to find interested buyers in your area. Instant-list apps like Wallapop, VarageSale, and OfferUp have made it simpler than ever to unload your items by snapping a photo, writing a short description, and naming a price.
- Plan parties
Planning parties is another way you can take advantage of the valentine day if you have no lover begging for your attention. There may not be a huge market for amateur party planners, but it’s worth a shot. If you’re known for throwing memorable shindigs, you might be able to drum up some business and collect a fee at entry. You can shop at dollar stores for decorations to keep costs down.
16. Provide On-Demand Serenading Services
Live music performed specifically for a special someone makes any Valentine’s Day date truly memorable. You can hire a guitarist, a violinist or a singer to perform for couples at the time and place of their choosing.
If you are a musician yourself, you can make a ton of money via tips by partnering with a local eatery and acting as their in-house entertainment for the evening. If you want to be more proactive about it, take your show on the road and wander up to lovey-dovey couples for a serenading session. That dude would be a dummy if he didn’t at least reach in his pocket for a dollar.
17. Become a photographer
Valentine’s Day with all the sentiment that surrounds it, is a prime time for weddings, engagements, and other relationship-specific photo ops.
If you are handy with a camera, offer to snap shots of the special moments that the happy couple will cherish forever. You could also set up a stand with very compelling background at a place lovers are known to frequent and coerce couples to stand for a shot.
- Paint portrait of couple’s moments
Are you handy with water colours? You can instead of taking pictures paint couples in very alluring positions. Paintings pack more emotions and meaning than ordinary pictures, and if you are good at what you do, you could draw series of pictures on that day. You just need to be where you can be seen, and display the works you have done previously.
- Make flower decorations
Flowers are one of the commodities that sell like mad during Valentine’s Day with about 180 million selling averagely each year. You can choose to buy flowers in bulk and design it to form beautiful bouquets. If you can get hold of natural flower, it will be better because people are likely to pay more for natural flowers that can be placed inside water than artificial flowers.
Typically, a dozen roses will cost at least $40 when Valentine’s Day rolls around. Sell a few dozen bouquets at that price and you are looking at a few easy thousand dollars. If you are interested in selling flowers or roses, you’ll find great offers at your local wholesale flower market.
- Organize a concert
If you have a great voice and the confidence needed to perform on stage before a large audience, then you can arrange a live concert on Valentine’s Day. Publicize the concert by involving your friends and advertising at places where fun-lovers hang out such as local restaurants, bars and clubs. If you are still a student, then theme it for students and obtain permission to use the school auditorium.
- Affiliate marketing of Valentine goodies
If you have a website or blog that generates a sizable amount of traffic and is targeted majorly at the set of people who would most likely celebrate Valentine, like the youths, you can make money by advertising flowers, Valentine cards, chocolate delivery etc.
You will need to register as an affiliate with a website that sells those products online. Each time someone buys an item through your affiliate links, you get a commission on the sale.
- Sell gift cards
Whether you are free on the 14th or not, you can make profit by selling an unused gift card. Help someone shop for the perfect gift or plan a classy night out on a budget. This is a nice opportunity to unload gift cards you have left over from the holidays — or still floating around from last year. On a gift-card exchange sites, you can sell your unused gift cards for near face value.
- Become a hair stylist or makeup artist
If you are good with the makeup and brush, you could become an emergency makeup artist or hair stylist. A big date night like Valentine means that people, especially ladies will want to look pretty. You could earn more than $20 an hour for your troubles.
If you are already a professional hair stylist or makeup artist, prepare for a surge in business on this love-struck weekend. For amateurs, this might just be a way to make some extra money on the side. Charge a small fee, or barter to exchange favors and help friends or family members prepare to paint the town various shades of red.
- Volunteer for Uber
Taking advantage of the influx of taxi orders on Valentine is a nice way to make money on that day. A busy night out for consumers means high traffic times for Uber. As long as you know your city well, your services would greatly be of help. If you are already a partner and don’t have a date, take advantage of your free time to profit from the special pricing that goes on that night.
- Deliver food
Instead of meeting restaurants one on one to help deliver food for them, you could sign up with a service like Postmates or UberEats to be a freelance food delivery driver for lovers who prefer not to brave the city. As with other contract services, how much you earn depends on how many deliveries you make and how fast you work.
- Hoarding and Arbitrage
If you don’t feel like producing flowers from scratch, selling the produce and products of others is the next best thing. Businesses that capitalize on Valentine’s Day bump up their prices when February 14th rolls around. Look at the top Valentine’s Day best sellers locally and stock up on them a week or so before it arrives, so you can have stock to sell on the big day.
- Create Unique Gift Baskets
Flowers are great and romantic, but they are hardly the only things that sell on Valentine’s Day. You can create unique gift baskets that are suitable for lovers, and you can pack the baskets based on gender. This idea can be even more profitable of you come up with specific combinations of love-themed items and package it up as theme-based Valentine’s baskets.
- Valentine’s Day Consultant
It may be strange to you hearing the word Valentine’s day consultant; it is simply helping people put together a fun Valentine’s day.
If you are good with coordination, a Valentine’s Day consultant gig could be right up your alley. The kind of people that love Valentine are willing to pay top dollar to ensure that their own experience goes off without a hitch. Become a date consultant and help advice your clients on the best way to enjoy the holiday. You can also make all the arrangements for them while charging a decent fee.
- Sell Digital Goodies on Etsy
Electronic “I Love You” items like letters, cards and coupons for favors of all kinds are pretty popular with couples and would-be couples alike. If you can turn a phrase or have some artistic talent, you can make surprisingly good money with digital Valentine’s Day products. If Etsy isn’t a good fit for you, CafePress and Zazzle are superb alternatives.
- Sell Mood-Setting Products Online
Aside from flowers and chocolates, a lot of other items also get to star on Valentine especially ones that set the right love mood. Items like candles and heart-shaped pillows are some of the biggest Valentine’s Day sellers.
While you could hawk an array of merchandise on Amazon, Etsy or Zazzle, you’ll probably make more money by focusing on one specific product. Set up a basic e-commerce site using Shopify and market your unique creations well ahead of Valentine’s Day.
- Make and sell Custom Jewelry to lovers
It is proven that a lot of men buy their significant others pendants and earrings every February. You can take advantage of the surge in the sale of jewelry to craft custom jewelry for customers based on their own specifications. High-quality jewelry doesn’t need to feature gold, silver and precious gemstones to make an impression. Partner with a local artisan if you are not great with crafts and take a cut for marketing the goods.
- Become a kissogram
A kissogram is a novelty greeting or message delivered by a person who accompanies it with a kiss. This is normally prearranged as a humorous surprise for the recipient. The person delivering this message sometimes dresses up as a character the sender wants him or her to portray. You could offer your services on Valentine’s Day as a kissogram and make a tidy sum.
- Graphic Designing
If you are good with creating graphics you could take this business idea up for this Valentine’s Day. Graphic Designing requires very little investment but more time and talent. Hence if you have it in you, you could go ahead and create some designs for your clients which they would like to use as gifts.
- Personalized Chocolates
If you are a great cook who is quite skilled in making chocolates, this is the best thing to do on Valentine’s Day. You could make pre-ordered chocolates in different shapes and designs for your clients. You could personalize it by encrypting names on the chocolates as desired by the clients.
- Romantic poems and one liners
If you have it in you to write few romantic poems and lines, then you can earn a handsome pay for writing personalized poems for love birds which they can dedicate to their partner.
- Make a video gift guide
When a person meets that special someone, they would want to give them a unique gift asides from the generic flowers and chocolates, but not everyone has the ability to come up with unique gift ideas.
You could help them out in this regard by putting together a video of these gift ideas. You can take it a step further by creating affiliate links on your blog or video where people can click and buy the gifts directly, thus making it easier for them and lining your purse as well.
- Dead flower delivery
Valentine’s Day is for lovers, but what about those who have fallen out of love or who have had a very nasty experience in the hands of their partners. You can still make money by tailoring your services to this set of people. You can take advantage of the emotions flowers evoke to make money this period.
Flowers can still send a powerful message especially if they arrive broken and on the verge of decay. You can accumulate a couple of dead and rotten blooms people can send to their exes. Whether it is a bunch of stinking, old carnations or an arrangement of all broken roses, these gifts can make you a tidy sum if marketed very well.
- Sex Supplies Delivery
One of the certainties of Valentine’s Day is sex. You could take advantage of the thousands of couples that are sure to have sex during this period and retail sex supplies.
You could start from condoms and lubricants. Another lucrative way to take advantage of this niche is to supply these items on demand. Prior to that day, you could stock up on these supplies and sell them to your shy friends while adding a little mark up.
- Valentine caller tunes
The major part of the valentine’s day will be occupied with the lovers calling each other until they are able to meet up. If you can compose a cool love song and unload it in any of the caller tune sites around; you can make some money as there will be a heavy download of love songs as caller tunes.
- Host singles parties
Planning on spending Valentine’s Day alone? Not anymore. Host a party at home for singles if you have a large and diverse network of friends. Valentine’s isn’t just for the committed. Many single people search for ways to enjoy the holiday every time February 14th rears its head.
A singles-themed dinner party is the best way to capitalize on this trend. Throw an inviting party for singles, stock it with wine, delicious food and fun activities and let the magic of the holiday work.
You can charge a few bucks on admission to cover the cost of food, décor, drinks, and so you can walk away with a reasonable wage. You can hire someone to come entertain your guests with good music, jokes or any other things that will make the event worth the fee that was paid by your guests.
- Show your love for charity
Celebrate love by teaming up with a local charity and encourage your family and friends to offer their support. Try hosting an event where you can teach people how to make delicious meals while on a diet, or some other thing like that. Consider charging a small fee for these classes and donating it to charity.
- Vintage Valentine’s Day Postcard
A postcard is a piece of thin cardboard or thick paper intended for writing and mailing without using an envelope. People use postcards to send messages and pictures to their loved ones anywhere. Some people love all things vintage. You can target this set of people and create vintage valentine’s post cards for them. If you are creative, you can make a tidy sum from this business.
- Singing telegram
A singing telegram is a message that is delivered by an artist or someone else in a musical form. Singing telegrams are just like normal telegrams but they are sung to the recipient, and they tend to be humorous. The singer can wear a costume or formal clothing.
You can provide services as a singing telegram for your family and friends if you have the kind of funny character needed for this business.
44. Tour guide
If you live in a picturesque location, or a place known to be a tourist attraction, you can take advantage of this and make a pile of cash this period. A lot of couples are known to plan romantic trips during valentine and a lot of these couples would need tour guides. You can spruce up your car and charge per hour for your services.
45. Love themed bath bombs
Bath bombs make bathing fun. If you are conversant with making bath bombs, you could make love themed bath bombs that lovers can use to enjoy a dip. Ensure you add very romantic scents and glitters to suit the mood.
46. Start an errand service
You can start a temporary business running essential errands for people on Valentine’s Day. Quite a number of busy people may not have the time to shop for a special gift for their loved one. You can offer to carry out the service for a token.
You can target work places where are you are already known or where you have a family member so people there can trust you. Advertise your service, collect lists and cash from people and hit the stores.