Tool · Upwork
Businesses that run on Upwork
The 1M.chat dataset has 12 businesses that list Upwork. 12 of them have a revenue figure the founder reported in an interview. Their median is $277K a month, and 75% were at $1M a year or more when interviewed, with a median team of 10 employees. The growth channels founders credited most often were SEO & organic search (92%), paid ads (33%), direct sales & cold outreach (33%).
Revenue at interview
| Under $1K/mo | 0 | |
| $1K–$10K/mo | 0 | |
| $10K–$50K/mo | 1 | |
| $50K–$83K/mo | 2 | |
| $1M+ a year | 7 | |
| $1M+ a month | 2 |
Growth channels credited
| SEO & organic search | 92% | |
| Paid ads | 33% | |
| Direct sales & cold outreach | 33% | |
| Organic social media | 33% | |
| Word of mouth & referrals | 25% |
Share of 12 businesses with channel information; founders often name several.
Industries in this group
| Other physical products | 6 | |
| Software & SaaS | 2 | |
| Courses & education | 1 | |
| Agencies & services | 1 | |
| Local & brick-and-mortar businesses | 1 | |
| Mobile apps & games | 1 |
Tools named most: Upwork (100%), HubSpot (25%), Instagram (25%), Ahrefs (17%), BuzzSprout (8%) — of 12 that listed tools.
Examples
Highest founder-reported revenues in this group
| Business | What it sells | Revenue / month | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| FilterbuyOther physical products | Pleated air filters and HVAC services | $250M/yrfounder interview 2024 | United States |
| International Cer...Other physical products | Ceramics manufacturing for industrial clients | $2Mfounder interview 2024 | United States |
| AlertForceCourses & education | Health and safety compliance training courses | $650Kfounder interview 2021 | Australia |
| Photobooth Supply...Other physical products | photo booths for event rental businesses | $500Kfounder interview 2018 | United States |
| Photo Booth Inter...Other physical products | photo booths for rental businesses | $400Kfounder interview 2022 | United States |
| TapSnapLocal & brick-and-mortar businesses | Photo booth rentals and franchised photo booth locations | $350Kfounder interview 2019 | Canada |
| SharetribeSoftware & SaaS | No-code marketplace building software | $204Kfounder interview 2023 | Finland |
| Hustler MarketingAgencies & services | Email and SMS marketing for ecommerce stores | $200Kfounder interview 2022 | — |
| PureFiltersOther physical products | air and water filters | $200Kfounder interview | Canada |
| OnlinePianistMobile apps & games | Piano tutorial app with song catalog | $70Kfounder interview 2021 | Israel |
| Heritage CookbookOther physical products | Custom printed family cookbooks and fundraising cookbooks | $62Kfounder interview 2021 | Canada |
| DGLegacySoftware & SaaS | digital inheritance service for assets and beneficiaries | $40Kfounder interview 2022 | Germany |
Revenue as the founder reported it in a Starter Story interview, at the interview date; not current revenue. “What it sells” is a 1M.chat summary. Tool lists come from the tools section of Starter Story pages; a business may use many tools not listed. How this data is built
Questions
How much do businesses that list Upwork typically make?
Among 12 businesses that list Upwork with founder-reported revenue, the median was $277K a month at the time of the interview. The sample is founders who chose to be interviewed, so it leans toward businesses that were already working; treat it as a range of real outcomes, not an average for everyone who tries.
How many businesses that list Upwork reached $1M a year?
9 of 12 (75%) reported at least $83K a month, the run-rate for $1M a year.
How did businesses that list Upwork find customers?
Of 12 with growth-channel information, founders most often credited SEO & organic search (92%), paid ads (33%), direct sales & cold outreach (33%), organic social media (33%), word of mouth & referrals (25%). Channels are grouped by 1M.chat from what founders said worked.
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