Players jumping into GTA 6 day one often overspend on the wrong businesses because they chase headline income numbers instead of payback time. This guide walks through the same framework used in our ROI calculator so you can plan a smarter opening strategy.
By Leonida Marketplace Team · Published February 3, 2026
A business advertising the highest hourly income is not automatically the best investment if its upfront cost is disproportionately large. Payback time — upfront cost divided by net hourly income — gives a much clearer picture of how quickly an investment starts generating pure profit.
Upgrades typically increase both cost and income, but rarely at the same rate. Treat each upgrade tier as its own mini-investment with its own payback time rather than assuming the fully upgraded version is always worth buying immediately.
A business that requires constant active supervision is worth less per hour than one that runs passively, even if their raw income numbers are similar — because the active one consumes hours you could spend elsewhere. Weigh income against the attention it demands.
Start with the lowest payback-time option you can afford, reinvest profits into the next-best payback-time option, and avoid fully upgrading anything until your base business has already paid for itself. This sequencing consistently outperforms buying the flashiest business first.