Can you make money in Venezuela today?

There is a question everyone asks in the supermarket line, at any repair shop and around the family table: “How do I make my money stretch?” And behind it comes another, more ambitious and entirely valid question: “How do I earn more?”

Yes, you can make money in Venezuela.

But working hard and selling a lot is not enough if I have my own business. You also have to know how much it costs to produce, how much and when to collect, where to invest and how to protect what you have earned, because you can have a business full of customers and an empty pocket.

In September 2026, prices rose 8.4% in a single month, according to data from the Central Bank of Venezuela reported by Reuters. That is why making money in Venezuela requires “winning two races at the same time”: generating income and preserving its value. 

The first starts with something simple: looking at what people need and what they are willing to pay for: food, repairs, transportation, care, connectivity and solutions to work without interruptions. There are opportunities there. A need, however, becomes a business only when there is a customer who can pay and a selling price that covers all costs and leaves a profit, of course.

RendiGroup's latest investment sector report identifies opportunities to make money in food, health, telecommunications, energy, agriculture and oil services, among others.

For ordinary people, this information is useful to the extent that they fit into a small link of those activities: distributing products, repairing equipment, providing services or helping certain businesses operate. Think about food: made-to-order meals, supplying small shops or distribution with reliable deliveries. In health: administrative support, equipment maintenance or care provided by trained personnel, with the corresponding permits (doctors, nurses, physical therapists, nutritionists, pharmacists). In technology: setting up networks, keeping digital inventories or helping a store sell online. In energy: installing and maintaining backup equipment (self-generation plants).

Sometimes the business lies in solving well what everyone suffers from.

There is also activity in larger-scale operations. In September, Chevron announced a $7 billion investment plan to expand its production in Venezuela over five years. That points to potential demand for transportation, maintenance, food and supplies. But an announcement is not a purchase order: before investing to meet that demand, you need customers, contracts and the capacity to deliver.

For many, earning more does not mean having an office or opening a storefront. Learning refrigeration, electrical work, accounting, sales or a digital tool can expand your income. The skill must respond to a concrete demand. Before paying for a course, find out who hires that service, how much they pay and what you need to offer it.

Then comes a lesson that costs money to learn: selling is not the same as earning.Imagine you buy merchandise for 100 dollars and sell it for 130. It seems you earned 30. But you paid 10 in transport and commissions, and now restocking costs 115. You are left with barely 5 before other expenses and taxes. If you spent the 30 thinking it was profit, you ate into your capital. The calculation must be done using the replacement cost. Separate household money from business money, record expenses and monitor how long you take to collect. A credit sale can turn out very expensive if, by the time you receive payment, it no longer covers buying what you sold.

Saving also requires method. When income barely covers food, talking about large percentages is out of touch with reality. Start with an amount that is possible and repeatable. Setting aside 2 dollars a week adds up to 104 in a year. It does not solve every problem, but it creates a margin to face an unexpected event. 

If your income allows it, gradually build a reserve covering several months of essential expenses. That money needs to be available and stable: losing it or tying it up can force you into debt just when you can least afford to pay. 

And how do you protect it from inflation and devaluation? Keep the bolívares you need for upcoming payments on hand and consider keeping part of your savings in foreign currency. Inflation and devaluation are related but not identical: one makes what you buy more expensive; the other reduces the value of the currency against others. Dollars help against the depreciation of the bolívar, although they also lose purchasing power over time, since there is inflation in dollars in Venezuela and in the world. And buying merchandise can protect capital only if it can be sold: an expired, damaged or unsellable inventory is also a loss.

Investing requires another question: “When am I going to need this money?” For your own business, start with a small test and real customers. For financial investments, look at diversified options through authorized intermediaries, provided you have legal access and understand costs, risks and withdrawal conditions. Stocks can fall; bonds can lose value or default. No return is guaranteed.

Nor is everything that costs less a bargain. A property requires clear documentation, maintenance and demand. A private loan depends on the borrower's ability to pay. And a platform that promises extraordinary gains may be hiding a scam. If you cannot explain where the profit comes from, you are not yet ready to put your money there.

Venezuela has opportunities, but seizing them requires clear accounts, discipline and an environment with better services, credit and legal security. Individual effort deserves conditions that help it thrive.

Yes, you can make money in Venezuela today. Start with a concrete need, learn to meet it, collect well, watch your costs and protect a part of what you earn.

The goal is for today's effort to become peace of mind tomorrow. For working more to also mean living better.