Playbook
Websites for local businesses
Simple, fast websites and Google Business Profiles for trades, cafés, clubs and clinics.
Reviewed 2026-09-25 · what a review checks
- At 5h a week
- €130–€910/mo
- At 10h a week
- €260–€1820/mo
- Start-up cost
- €0–€200
- First money
- 2–6 weeks
- Difficulty
- Some skill
- Risk
- Low
- Customer contact
- Some
- Where
- Local or online
Start tonight
0/5 done · about an hourFive small actions. No money, no website. Tick them as you go — your progress is saved on this device.
Who it suits
People comfortable with a site builder or basic code and good at explaining things simply.
What you need · how much it costs
To start: €0–€200 — site-builder account, domain for your own portfolio.
Monthly: €10–€50 — software.
- GDPR: cookie consent and a privacy notice on client sites.
- Written scope: pages, revisions, who supplies content.
How to get your first customer
- Build one sample site for a real local business (unpaid demo)
- Price a fixed 5-page package
- Show the demo to that business and two similar ones
How to price it
Assumed market range €30–€70 an hour (assumed effective hourly rate; usually a fixed project price plus a monthly care plan). Start around €43 for your first three customers, then raise it for new customers once you have reviews. Check three local or platform listings before you publish a price.
Realistic earnings
€30–€70/hour × 5h a week × 4.33 weeks × 20–60% of hours actually paid ≈ €130–€910 a month, before costs and tax.
€30–€70/hour × 10h a week × 4.33 weeks × 20–60% of hours actually paid ≈ €260–€1,820 a month, before costs and tax.
The rate range is an assumption (assumed effective hourly rate; usually a fixed project price plus a monthly care plan); the share of hours paid reflects the first few months, when most time goes on finding customers. Actual income depends on demand, pricing and how consistently you find customers. Capped at 25h a week.
What can go wrong
- Scope creep — fix the number of pages and revisions.
- Clients who never send content: get it before you start.
- Little money at stake — the main cost is your time.
Irish tax (2026)
Self-employed income; VAT once services turnover passes €42,500.
Declaring side income as a PAYE worker. Side income is taxable from the first euro. If your net non-PAYE income is under €5,000 (and gross under €30,000) you can declare it on Form 12 through myAccount. At €5,000 net or more you are a “chargeable person” and must register for self-assessment and file Form 11 by 31 October. Source · checked 2026-09-25
VAT registration thresholds. You must register for VAT once turnover exceeds, or is likely to exceed, €42,500 a year for services or €85,000 for goods. Source · checked 2026-09-25
Business expenses. Costs incurred “wholly and exclusively” for the side business (tools, software, platform fees, a share of home costs) are deductible from the income before tax. Keep receipts for six years. Source · checked 2026-09-25
Educational information about Irish tax rules, not tax, legal or financial advice. Your position depends on your circumstances — check with Revenue or a qualified adviser.
Hustler · execution plan
What to do this week, and how to scale websites for local businesses
Free gets you started tonight. Hustler gives you the day-by-day plan for your first week and what to do at your first customer, first €100, first €500 and when to scale — €9.99/month, 14-day free trial, cancel any time.
Checking your account…
Sources
Want something that keeps earning without your hours? That is CashCow, our sister site for building income assets.