Can You Start A Business With No Money?
You may think it takes a lot of money to make money. That is what we are told all the time. And yet, I know many people who have begun very successful enterprises without a lot of cash. Be aware that I am not advising anybody to quit a day job to plunge in. While it is very possible to start a business with little money, most businesses do not start making a lot of money right away.
You may already have what you need to start a business. Or like the people in some of my examples below, you may be able to borrow or barter for equipment and tools. The main focus you need to have is to start small, learn as you go, and improve the way you do business on a day by day business.
Examples of Business People Who Started on A Shoestring
Dog walker: I met a lady on the beach who had managed to turn her dog walking business into a major enterprise that allowed her to live near the surf! She started out by walking some neighbors dogs while they were at work or on vacation. As the demand for her services grew, she hired some help. Then she found she needed t spend time on paperwork, so her hired help was doing all of the dog walking. She had turned a very low cost business startup into a small business with employees.
Lawn Services and Landscaping: The guy who mows my own lawn lost everything he had in one of the major hurricanes. As he found temporary housing with family in my city, he began to borrow a truck and equipment to solicit work mowing lawns and landscaping. Since he always went out of his way to be helpful, people started passing his name around to their friends and neighbors. Soon, he had to hire help, and he managed to purchase his own equipment and truck. As he worked, he began to learn more about landscaping so he could take on higher paying jobs. While this man continued to do yard work, he also made income off of the work his employees did.
Freelancing: I know so many examples of freelancers who have managed to turn a skill or hobby into a full time business that it is hard to pick one. With the growth of the internet, many websites solicit content. People who can provide informative articles, pictures, or videos can find work. There are many freelancing job websites. Another way to find this type of work would be to frequent webmaster forums. A lot of them have a section for buying and selling services.
If you have some computer skills, this could even get easier. There is a demand for freelance coders to write particular computer scripts. But even if you do not know computer languages, mere word processing or spreadsheet skills can get you work as a virtual assistant.
One Man Shop or Business With Employees
You may be happy just finding work to earn income. If you can also build your skills at soliciting work, you can expand beyond the tasks you can complete and profit from employees too. You may find, like others have, your time is best spent getting business and managing projects. Your employees may perform the actual tasks. But most small businesses have to build themselves up to this point.
What you really need to start a business is passion and a good work ethic. If you have those things, you can find ways to get what you need without a lot of money.