How do you start a business with no money?
In this article, you will learn about the top 7 proven strategies people in your position have used to start businesses that are now generating millions of dollars in revenue.
Who said you need money to start a business?
Well, that might have been true back in the ’90s, not today.
So, what has changed?
Unlike years ago, we now have the technology. And this is the #1 resource that has empowered most entrepreneurs like you to start businesses that are now successful.
Why would you start a business?
This may sound like an obvious question.
But you will be surprised at how many people actually miss the ‘why’ of starting a business.
The reason why you need to answer this question is that if your ‘why’ is wavery, you are not cut out for what is ahead of you.
You may be looking at all those successful entrepreneurs out there and admiring their stories.
But what they don’t show you is the behind-the-scenes of starting and growing a successful business.
It is easy to be amazed by how much they have achieved, but fail to notice how they struggled to be where they are today.
For you as an aspiring entrepreneur, you need to know why you are starting a business.
Is it to have more freedom and be able to enjoy time with your family?
Or is it to make money to spend on worthy causes, whatever it is, you need to find it now before we continue.
Why is this important?
As mentioned, entrepreneurship is a challenging career with a ton of ups and downs.
Some days, you will be excited to see another day, while on other days, you’d wish the night was a little longer.
When that happens, you need to look at your ‘why’ to give you that motivation boosts your serious desire.
Business ideas you can start without money
Before I show you how to start a business without money, here are some ideas you can venture into without a dime to your name;
Freelance writing
do you love writing? You can work as an independent writer working for remote clients right from your home. All you need is your writing skills, a laptop, and a good internet connection.
Dropshipping
This is an eCommerce business model where you sell products online without actually ever touching or seeing the product.
All you have to do is strike a deal with a supply (who could be overseas) to ship the product to the customer whenever there is an order.
Then create a website where you display the products.
Here is an article on how to create a free online store website in under 10 minutes.
Affiliate marketing
This is another business idea that requires no money to start.
You need two things; an affiliate program and a platform to share the products.
To get the affiliate program, first, decide on what industry you’d be interested in promoting. And then look for programs within that industry.
For example;
If you are interested in online trading, there are several affiliate programs you can participate in with brokers like Olymp Trade, IQ Option, among others.
Also, pick the program with reputable so you don’t end up losing your hard-earned money.
With the program at hand, the next step is deciding on how to promote your affiliate link.
- Use social media platforms to share the links
- Create a free website
Blogging
Blogging is where you publish articles on a platform.
The articles could be covering a specific topic you are passionate about or just general news.
Note that for blogging to work, you need a platform and audience. Sometimes, the platform comes with an audience.
For example;
When you blog on Medium.com, the platform has an existing audience.
But when you decide to create your own website, you have to implement some strategies to attract readers.
- Use SEO to benefit from organic traffic
- Share your articles on forums and social media
- Use PPC ads to drive traffic to your website.
There are a ton of business ideas you can venture into without money.
With that covered, let’s look at how you can start a business with no money.
How do you start a business with no money?
To grow your business, you must pay!
And there are two ways you can pay for whatever you are getting;
- Pay with money
- Pay with time
You either spend money or time to get things going.
But for you, you are here to learn how to start a business without money, right?
Here is something you don’t know;
The time and money you are spending don’t have yours.
Get Loans
If you are starting a business and don’t have any money, you can decide to go for a loan.
There are financial institutions around you who are more than willing to extend a low-interest loan to jumpstart your venture.
But there is one problem;
You have to prove that their money is safe.
To do that, prepare a comprehensive business plan, showing how you are going to achieve what you have set you. And also the potential returns.
This is what the loan officers will be looking for when deciding your fate.
Grants and local funding
This is another famous way of using someone else’s money to start your own business.
Local governments are always on the lookout for upcoming entrepreneurs to support.
If you believe in your business potential, go ahead and apply for grants with your government.
Besides the money, this may be your opportunity to access years of experience from established entrepreneurs.
Talking of experience, here is another way to start a business without money.
Join an incubator
A startup incubator is a set up where an experienced and well-endowered entrepreneur take you under his/her management while you continue shaping your idea.
In return, he may ask for an equity stake in your business.
This is one of the best ways to start a business without money, and here are the reasons;
- You are getting free advice and guidance throughout your early business stages
- Free access to tools and systems you will need to grow your startup
- A team to keep you accountable and focused on the tasks at hand
Now, to get into such startup incubators, there may be some standards you have to satisfy.
Go online and sort through incubators around where you live.
Friends and family
If you do not have money, your friends or family members might. All you have to do is ask.
What is attractive about this strategy is that family and friends won’t be too demanding as compared to taking on loans or VCs.
They will be more than happy to be part of your journey, which is a good thing because after all, you are close to them.
So, approach one of your family members whom you see believes in you and propose your idea.
Bootstrapping
Bootstrapping essentially means spending absolutely nothing when starting a business.
This means that if there is something to be done, you have to do it by yourself.
For example;
Want a website done?
Instead of spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a web developer, why not do it yourself?
Lucky for you, there are tools like OLITT.
This is a free website builder you can use now to create any website (landing pages, online stores, and professional sites) in under 10 minutes.
Better part?
You do not need any coding skills. The tool comes with drag-and-drop technology, making the entire process seamless.
Get a job
I know this might the last thing you wanted to hear, but let me explain.
With a job, you have a steady flow of income.
You can then use part of the money to start an online business as a side hustle up until it starts generating enough income to quit your job.
Truth is, not every business will make money as soon as it is launched, but the bills must be paid, right?
Get co-founder
Co-founder is another way to start a business without money.
If you have an idea with huge potential but don’t have money, consider getting someone on board to help with the financial part.
Remember how Facebook started?
It was through contributions by friends, something you can do for your business as well.
Just be careful not to be so fixated on the money they are bringing in to the extent you lose your business in the process.
Having a co-founder can also help fill in the skill space existing within the business.
For example;
If you are good at the product development part, you can partner with some with marketing proficiency.
Consider crowdfunding
Crowdfunding is the process of asking people to contribute a small amount towards your idea, often over the internet.
For this to work, you need a platform (crowdfunding sites) and a business idea.
Since you already have an idea, here are some crowdfunding websites to consider;
All you have to do is pick one platform and follow their guidelines to apply for crowdfunding.
What to do next about starting a business with no money
You don’t need any money to start a business today.
Go ahead and pick the best business idea, have a plan, and go all in. what will only stop you is if you give up.
Remember to create a free website here for your business. You get a free domain (.olitt.com) and an option to connect a custom one (buy or transfer to us).
Also, you get access to top tools to start and grow your website.
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