A knife sharpening business could be a potentially lucrative money making business. It will not be a get rich quick scheme, there will be a lot of work involved. But if you put in the work, like to hustle and know how to promote yourself, you can make a great living with knife sharpening.

Step 1: Learn how to sharpening knives, scissors, tools, clippers etc.

There are many items that need to be sharpened from time to time. The bulk of this business will be chef/kitchen knives, but people will call asking about all types of things. You will need to know how to sharpen straight blades, serrated blades, scissors, lawn mower blades, gardening tools and clipper blades. If you are thinking about starting this business I suggest you start watching YouTube videos right now and start practicing. There are videos on sharpening everything.

Step 2: Buy Knife sharpening Equipment.

This will be your biggest expense with this business. There are many knife sharpening techniques, systems and tools out there. So, you will need to research and find the best fit for you. I personally like the 1″ by 30″ belt sanders by Harbor Freight. They cost about $50 and you can get higher grit belt from Amazon. When you start making money, you can always invest in bigger and better equipment, but start small and build it first.

Step 3: Mobile, Store Front or Home Business.

I started my knife sharpening business by being mobile. I didn’t buy a van or truck but I would drive to all my customers homes and work out of the back of my SUV. This worked at first, but I got tired of driving all over the place. Most customers will ask if you are mobile, this is a decision you have to make for yourself.

Step 3: Legal and Finance

There is no avoiding this. The tax man will cometh. Talk to a attorney and accountant about setting up the business. I am not either so I will give no advice on this topic.

Step 4: Marketing & Promotion

If nobody knows you sharpen knives, you will not make any money. You need to learn how to promote and market your service. It starts with a website. There are cheap and or free services to get a website. Next, I would get the social media accounts for what ever business name you come up. I would use Facebook and Instagram to market your business. Business cards and post cards are another great way to promote the service.

Step 5: Doing the work

You got the first phone call, awesome. Now sharpen the knives and get paid. The best way to make money with knife sharpening is to get Restaurant accounts. Most restaurants need this service. You will want to set up a weekly service, where you sharpen their knives or you buy the knives and swap them out every week. That is where the real money is. Also, learn to sharpen clipper blades and you can do monthly service.

I know I simplified this but that’s all there is to it. Start it, Promote it, Run it and profit…. And pay your taxes…