Start a one-day food and makers festival

Food trucks, craft sellers and other vendors pay for a space. Local businesses, banks and real estate agents pay for sponsorship. Some events also sell paid extras like a VIP area or a kids' zone.

Vendor space fees plus sponsor packages, minus venue, permits, insurance, toilets, signage and marketing. Income comes in bursts around each event, so the monthly figure here is an average across a year.

• Organizing many moving parts
• Negotiating with vendors and sponsors
• Local marketing and social media
• Staying calm under pressure

• Special event permits, street or park use permits and fire marshal sign-off, which differ by city and county
• Temporary food permits for each food vendor, so check with your county health department who is responsible for collecting them
• Event liability insurance, which venues and cities often require, and whether you need to be named on vendors' policies
• Bad weather, so check rain dates, cancellation insurance and refund terms for vendors
• Accessibility, restroom and trash needs, and any music licensing rules for live or recorded music

Startup costs are typically around $3,000 to $12,000, depending on the site, permits, insurance, marketing and entertainment. These are estimates, so get quotes for your own city and venue before you commit to any deposits.

Things to check include special event permits, street or park use permits, fire marshal sign-off, temporary food permits for each food vendor, event liability insurance, accessibility, restroom and trash needs, and music licensing. Rules differ by city and county, so ask local officials.

Monthly revenue is typically around $1,500 to $7,500, depending on vendor numbers, sponsors and any paid extras like a VIP area or kids' zone. That is an estimate only, and bad weather can hurt results, so check rain dates and cancellation insurance.