Win Like A Targaryen: 10 Businesses You Can Start for Free You must be both strong and tactful to rule the Seven Kingdoms for three centuries.
By Murray Newlands Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
To win like a Targaryen in the famous Game of Thrones series, you need to be strong and think tactfully. You need to be able to know when to work hard and when to work intelligently. Starting a business is not an easy task, and doing it for free is even harder. That said, there are now numerous ways you can get setup without spending a cent.
In this article, I've highlighted the top 10 business idea you can start for free to win like a Targaryen without investing a huge amount of time and effort.
1. Chatbot builder
Chatbots are here to stay. They've now taken the customer service, marketing, and sales worlds by storm. Thanks to advancements in technology, they're no longer difficult to create. In fact, you don't have to be a coding and programming guru to create one for yourself.
With the help of chatbot-building platforms like ChattyPeople, you can create a chatbot in a matter of minutes. The platform has a powerful, visual interface that allows you to create a bot that can:
- Monetize your social media channels
- Integrate with your social media profiles
- Act as a customer care, marketing, and sales tool
You could create your own chatbot-building business for free. Once you understand how to make them and have accumulated a small client base, you'll see the money rolling in!
Related: Top 10 Best Chatbot Platform Tools to Build Chatbots for Your Business
2. Blogger or Vlogger
Blogging or vlogging is not new, and there are very few people who do it perfectly. Today, there are more poor quality blogs and vlogs than good ones. If you have something to say, are an expert in a specific field, or just think you can write or broadcast yourself in a way that will make people come back for more, then why not get started?
It's completely free to get going and you can grow your business as your viewers and readers increase. Also, you can make money through affiliate marketing, selling advertising space, and creating products related to your platform and brand, which leads me to the next option…
Related: Age No Bar to Succeed in the World of Blogging
3. Ebook author.
Writing eBooks in conjunction with your online platform is a great way to earn a living. With e-commerce websites like Amazon making it easier to market and sell online books, why not take advantage of this growing trend?
Despite the fact that you'll probably not be able to sell your eBook at the same price as its paperback counterpart, you'll be able to sell more copies and your production costs will be little to none. Plus, all you have to do is write the book, and assuming you write it on a topic on which you're an expert, it should be a piece of cake.
Related: How This Self-Published Author Sold 10,000 Books with Almost No Money and Zero Connections
4. Podcaster
Creating a podcast online can seem daunting because it involves you speaking directly to your audience in a very personal way. People often doubt themselves in these situations. That said, the concept remains the same as with a blog or vlog: if you have something interesting to say, why not share it?
Aside from you talking about a passionate topic, setting up a podcast online is extremely easy. While earning money from your podcasting will take time, you'll be able to do this by selling advertising space. With time, the companies that approach you for advertising will become more famous and you'll be able to charge more.
Related: 8 Ways Podcasters Can Profit From Their Shows
5. Social media manager.
Everyone loves social media. It's a phenomenon that has swept over the world, taking everyone in its stride, and it's unlikely to change anytime soon. What if you could do this for a living? Yes, that's right. You could earn a living from sitting on social media all day from the comforts of your home.
If you're not sure how to get into it, there's now a huge variety of free courses you can take online. Plus, once you get the hang of things and have a successful strategy in place, you can automate your social media management through platforms like Hootsuite and Buffer.
Related: 10 Important Skills Your Social Media Manager Needs in 2017
6. Reviewing services
Companies are often looking for individuals to leave reviews for their products or services. To do so, you just need to create a profile on freelancing websites, such as Upwork. These can be done on Amazon, TripAdvisor, and various other websites. If you already have your own blog or vlog, you can charge extra and leave reviews directly on your platform. This is also a great stepping stone to earn additional income through your blog.
Related: Get A Beer For Writing a Truthful Review on Your Facebook!
7. Secretary
To be a secretary, you no longer have to sit behind a desk. In today's world, some businesses look for virtual assistants in order to cut costs. Because they are saving on electricity, space, and other forms of amenities, this allows you, as a contractor or freelancer, to charge more. You also won't be limited to only one client. In fact, you could create your own agency with numerous virtual assistants that can be assigned to each one of your clients, leaving you with more free time and an empire that runs itself.
Related: Triple Your Business' Efficiency by Using Virtual Assistants
8. Resume writer
Writing a resume is a daunting task for most, so if you have strong writing skills, why not offer your services? While you may have to start slow, you could create your own agency whereby you hire writers and assign them to specific clients, leaving you with more time on your hands to reap the rewards of your entrepreneurial hard work.
Related: 5 Huge Resume Blunders -- and How to Avoid Them
9. Editor
Good writers often make awesome editors. If you're tired of spending hours typing away, you could start reviewing and editing other peoples' work. Marketing agencies, in particular, are famous for hiring editors and these positions are often remote and allow you to choose your own hours. You may also be able to negotiate your salary depending on their requirements.
Related: What Entrepreneur's Editor-in-Chief Looks For When Assigning Stories
10. Travel planner
People who travel often and are good at organizing trips may not see the value in their skills. If you're a worldly person and feel capable of giving advice to others, you should think about becoming a travel planner. You could start by offering your services to family and friends, and then expand your client base, creating packages based on their preferences.
Related: Top 5 Apps to Ease Your Travel Woes This Summer Vacation
Finally…
Thanks to the proliferation of the internet, creating a business for free is easier than ever, and you need to embrace a Targaryen-like mindset to make it happen. By carefully planning your next steps and using one of the ideas mentioned above, you'll be able to build your empire with little to no financial or time investment.
