Are you holding back on your dreams of starting your own business because you don’t have a lot of money to invest? If so, you’ll be pleased to know that you don’t need a lot to get started. Modern technology has forever changed the landscape of business making it possible for individuals to start a business for next to nothing.
Don’t believe it? Here are some examples listed below.
Freelance Writing/Blogging.
If you have a passion for writing and/or a story to tell you can start a business as a freelance writer or blogger. This is an exclusively virtual business in which you write digital content for websites, blogs, books, press releases, and so much more. All you need to get started is a computer and access to the internet which you likely already have (or can easily purchase using financial resources like an installment loan). You can create a free digital profile, apply for jobs for free, create a free blog, and set up social media accounts for marketing.
As you continue to put out content you build your brand and can essentially start charging decent rates for your work. If you start getting enough clients, you can even outsource some of the work to other writers and essentially start your own writing agency.
Pet Sitting.
Are you a lover of pets? You could start a pet sitting service with little to no money. All you really need is a social media account to begin looking for clients, a friendly disposition, and a general knowledge of how to care for pets. Essentially, you’d go to your clients’ homes to watch their pets often while they’re away on vacation. It would be your responsibility to ensure the pets are properly fed, given adequate water to drink, take any necessary medications, and get regular exercise until their owners return.
Tutoring Services.
If you like the idea of helping people to learn new skills then becoming a tutor could be something you’re interested in. You could charge several dollars an hour to teach people online, at schools, in libraries, at their homes, or in other public establishments. From typical topics like language arts, math, science, and history to teaching lessons on music, cooking, or singing, there are platforms that allow individuals to sign up for a free or low rate and search for clients that might be a good match.
House Cleaning.
Do you like to keep your home fresh, clean, and organized? Would you be interested in helping others to keep theirs in that same order? You can start a house cleaning business for next to nothing. All you need to get started are general cleaning supplies and equipment like window cleaner, surface cleaners, floor solutions, mops, buckets, sponges, dustpans, etc. You can easily make your own cleaning products and purchase the equipment from a value store to cut costs.
You can build your client base by starting with people closest to you. Charge your friends or family at a low rate to help them get their places in tip-top shape. If they don’t mind, take before and after pictures to develop a portfolio and showcase them on your website (which can be created for free or cheap) and social media pages to gain new business. At some point, if you’d like to earn more you can hire staff and expand your business, extend your services, and cover more ground.
Sell Products Online.
With platforms like eBay, anyone can start a business online for $100 or less. You don’t need to purchase anything to get started. You can gather items you no longer need or want from your house. You can ask your relatives to donate anything they aren’t using as well. Take good pictures, write a detailed description, set your price, and wait for the offers to come rolling in. If you start to run out of things to sell, you can go to flea markets or yard sales and find things for a steal and resell them. You can also start buying items wholesale or in bulk and sell them online individually to turn a profit.
In times past it may have been necessary to have a ton of money saved up to invest in a business or really good credit to get the funds for your startup. Today, however, you can start a business online without either. The best part is many of these businesses are scalable meaning as your funds increase you can expand the business to earn more and gain more success.
