Starting with a clubhouse from the maze bank foreclosure site is your best bet, and i've found the cocaine lockup to be the real money maker here. The meth lab and counterfeit cash factory are solid choices too, but definitely grab that cocaine business first since it brings in the most cash.

From my experience, you'll want to invest in equipment and staff upgrades right away, they make a huge difference in your profits. Security upgrades are nice to have, but not totally necessary unless raids are giving you trouble. The grand senora desert or alamo sea areas are pretty sweet spots for setting up shop, makes those delivery runs way smoother.

Once you've got those upgrades installed, it's actually better to just buy supplies instead of stealing them, saves you a ton of time that you could spend making money elsewhere. Something interesting i've learned is that selling before your stock gets too full usually means simpler delivery missions, which is perfect when you're running solo. Getting some friends involved definitely helps though, and you can recruit up to 7 people to help with those bigger sales. Oh and don't forget, these businesses work great with a nightclub later on, letting you earn extra cash without lifting a finger.

Good to know: starting with the right business and upgrades can seriously boost your profits and make the whole process smoother.