7 Businesses You Can Start With Almost No Cash Have a craft creation to sell? Good at home repair? Resale transactions? Voila! You can become an entrepreneur-on-the-cheap.
Edited by Dan Bova
If you're like millions of Americans, you dream of starting your own business. But of course, there are dozens of obstacles that may keep you from actually doing that. You might not have enough motivation, for example, or time to actually see the work through; or you might not even have a solid idea to begin with -- yet.
Related: The 10 Best New-Age Business Ideas You Haven't Heard About Yet
But where most people get stopped cold is their realization that it takes money to start a business -- money they don't have.
Still, consider: There are loans, grants, and other fundraising options, like crowdfunding, available to get you what you need; so money is not a good excuse not to start a business. And, beyond that, there are certain types of businesses you can start with almost no cash.
What it takes to start a business
Your first step is to explore what it takes to formally "start" a business, and which of those items cost money.
- Planning. You'll need to come up with a business plan and financial model, of course, but you can do this on your own, for free.
- Business license. If you're planning on creating a partnership, LLC or corporation, you'll need to file some paperwork -- but it probably won't cost you more than a few hundred dollars, depending on what licensing you need. The Small Business Administration has plenty of resources to help you figure out what you need, how to obtain it and how much it will cost.
- A domain name. You'll need to invest in your online brand early on; while I suggest going as professional as possible, you could also use a bare-bones approach to launch, if yours is a minimum viable product. Often, a catchy domain name is all you need to define your brand at the start, and one can be bought for as little as $10 (if you can find one that isn't taken!). I use GoDaddy to buy domains.
- A website. Website builders these days are free and intuitive to use. You won't expend anything but time to build your first site. I recommend starting simple with a widely-used website platform, like Wordpress or Wix.
- Marketing. While marketing has a reputation for being very expensive, there are actually a ton of really effective tactics that can be performed with only an investment of your time. Social media marketing, SEO and content marketing all fit within this category -- and, honestly, those are really all you need. Entrepreneur has a great selection of how-to books and online courses that cover this subject.
- Equipment. Equipment, offices and other tangible assets are cash killers, but not all businesses need them. Some businesses don't require any of these things, as I'll explain shortly.
- Products. Finally, all businesses need to sell something, which usually means some up-front investing. However, many services can be performed with an investment of time rather than money.
Types of businesses to start
So, which types of businesses can be started without a heavy financial burden in any of the above areas? Read on to find out.
EntrepreneurBusiness idea: Content provider
Sites like Fiverr offer a great opportunity for writers, editors, photographers, artists and videomakers to book gigs from businesses with an assortment of content needs. The amount of money one can generate will vary greatly on a person's drive and talent. Speaking with Entrepreneur, copywriter Alexandra Fasulo explained that she began by booking small projects for $5 a pop, and within two years, built a reputation and customer base that has her earning six figures a year.
Related: 9 Ways These People Make Money at Home With Nothing But Their Laptops
Business idea: Personal creations
First off, there are personal creations, like arts and crafts. For example, if you're a painter, you could sell your works of art with an investment of nothing more than art supplies and your own time. Platforms like Etsy, eBay and Amazon cater to creators and make it easy to turn a profit from your work.
Related: 101 Businesses You Can Start With Less Than $100
Business idea: In-home services
Services don't cost you any money up-front because they're intangible goods. And if you're working in people's own homes or neighborhoods, you won't need a physical headquarters for your business. For example, you could start a babysitting service, a dog-walking or pet-sitting service or something like landscaping or snow-plowing.
Business idea: Repair or skill-based services
If you have a specific skill, you could use your skilled labor as the main revenue driver for your business. For example, if you're a handyman, you could cater to homeowners who don't know much about home repairs.
Just like in-home services, these types of gigs don't require you to have a physical establishment and don't require you to invest in anything up-front, except the tools or equipment you're going to need for the job, which will vary in cost.
Learn about opening a Handyman Connection franchise here.
Business idea: Resale
The idea behind resale is simple: You acquire products and sell them to other people. You can use dropshipping or wholesaling to acquire these goods. With dropshipping, you'll ship directly from the manufacturer (and turn a lower profit), but you'll need almost no startup cash. With wholesaling, you'll need more money and space up-front, but you'll end up with more control and more money.
Related: 6 Steps to Building a Successful Online Drop Shipping Business
Business idea: Consulting
Many workers think about becoming entrepreneurs only after getting several years of professional experience under their belt. Think about the industry you're in, and how much you've been able to learn in that time. Up-and-coming professionals, or startup business owners will likely be glad to pay you for your expertise. Consulting is a service that costs only time to produce but can be highly valuable as a career opportunity.
Business idea: Micropreneurship
Of course, you could also piece together your own miniature business through micropreneurship and shared-economy opportunities. For example, you could drive for a service like Uber, or rent your home out through AirBnB or find similar services that make use of what you've already got.
After you get your business started and start earning revenue, your lack of startup capital will become less of a problem. You can reap the profits from your venture and reinvest them, or use them to start an even bigger business.
Related: 12 Low-Cost Business Ideas for Introverts
Hopefully, you now realize that you don't need a lot of up-front money to start a business. In fact, you can start one for almost nothing. You just need to know what types of businesses work best in that model.
