How to Start a Business with No Money (in 2023)

Having a ton of business ideas is never a bad thing.

It’s even better when you have money to invest into starting a business.

But if you don’t have any to invest, it’ll be tough to get the business off the ground.

Even if you manage to get started, you likely won’t be able to keep afloat for long.

A business venture requires a significant investment, whether it’s in the form of time or money.

Knowing how to make money online through a business that doesn’t have many startup costs is one of the best bets for someone who doesn’t have any money to invest.

In this article, I’ll give you a breakdown of how to start a business with no money, allowing you to get started on your entrepreneurial journey as soon as possible.

Let’s get started.

Starting a Business With No Money

Entrepreneurs are often lauded for their ability to take risks in their business.

But starting a business might be one of the most significant risks in and of itself.

The most significant barrier to starting a business is the lack of money.

Most people either don’t have enough money to get started or are afraid of losing the money they do have.

If you’re in this boat, don’t worry.

Here are the steps to go through.

Doing the Market Research

While this might seem like a significant step to get started with, doing the upfront work will save you a lot of time and money in the long run.

Knowing your target market inside and out is one of the most important skills you can have as an entrepreneur.

When you know your target market, you can create a laser-focused marketing strategy for reaching them and delivering the product or service they need.

When it comes to market research, using your critical thinking skills is vital.

You’ll need to be able to sift through a lot of information to find the gems that will be most useful to your business.

A common way to find such gems is to look at other industries and reference them for ideas.

You can also look at your hobbies and interests objectively while seeing what could be made better.

This will allow you to develop ideas you can develop as a business.

It would help if you also kept your eyes open when visiting other countries.

Doing this might also provide a different way of looking at things, leading to new business ideas.

Your life experiences, in general, are another excellent place to start when brainstorming ideas for a new business.

Entrepreneurship is all about observing a problem and finding a way to solve it.

Knowing the demographic makeup of your target market is also essential when attempting to figure out the kind of problems that your business might be able to solve.

Know What Your Business Will Actually Do

While writing a business plan is something you can learn how to do as you go and is required for specific types of businesses, not having one shouldn’t stop you from starting a business.

That said, it’s still essential to have a plan in place for what you’ll do in business.

This doesn’t have to be a formal document, but it should at least answer the following questions:

• What does your business do?
• Who is your target market?
• How will you reach your target market?

Startup costs depend on the business model, but since this post goes over businesses you can start with no money, it’s important to know that you’ll need to invest other resources if money is an issue.

For example, the ability to work full-time in your business and investing sweat equity (time spent working on your business – usually without initial pay) are two of the most important things you can do to get started with no money.

Other resources you might need to invest in are your network, skills, and knowledge.

A great way to get started is to use a skill (or knowledge) you have in exchange for another skill someone else can bring to the table.

Choose a Business Name

As a business owner, having a name that reflects the values of your business is essential.

If you’re unsure what your business name should be, start by brainstorming a list of words that describe your business.

Once you have this list, you can play around with them to see what sounds best.

You can also use your own name to create a business around yourself (i.e., the brand of you).

This is great if you want to be able to pivot your business in the future or if you’re not sure what direction you want your business to move in.

If you choose a business name that’s too specific, it can be hard to change it down the road – plus, you’ll be closing yourself off in a corner when it comes to the service or products you can offer.

Get Feedback

Whether validating ideas with pre orders or getting feedback from a focus group, talking to potential customers is integral.

This will help you validate your ideas and ensure that you’re on the right track.

It’s also a great way to get insights into what your target market is looking for and what they’re willing to pay for.

Doing this feedback collection as part of forming the right business strategy is key to ensuring the success of your business.

No matter what type of business you’re starting, getting feedback from someone who could eventually become your customer can help you ensure you’re on the right track.

Launch A Website

As small business owners, a website is one of the essential tools needed.

Your website is your online home, and it’s where potential customers will go to learn more about your business.

While being a very low-cost way to start a business, a website will give your business a more professional feel.

Also, consider adding a blog to your website.

This is great to show your authority in your niche and start building up your online presence.

The best business blog name ideas are usually short, catchy, and easy to remember.

Moreover, buying your own domain name is relatively straightforward as well.

Head over to one of the best domain registrars to ensure your website name is available, and you’re off to the races.

While there are many more steps required to start a business, these are the basics you need to get on your way.

Do not try and have everything perfect before you launch – this will usually result in you never taking action.

Easy Businesses to Start with No Money

The following businesses don’t require a lot of money to get started, and they have the potential to be highly profitable – two critical factors to consider when starting a business online.

Blogging Business

Learning how to start a blog is one of the best things you can do to start an online business with little money.

It’s a great way to share your passion with the world and make money simultaneously.

YouTube Channel

Another great business to start with no money (if you choose to) is a YouTube channel.

All you need is a camera and a microphone (both available on your phone), and you can be up and running in no time.

Over time, you can build proven templates to follow that can help you optimize your videos.

This helps you get engagement and views, two critical factors for success.

Podcasting

Podcasting is another great business to start with little to no money.

Similar to YouTube, all you need is a microphone, and you can be up and running in no time.

Before starting a podcast, doing market research to see if there’s an audience for your topic is critical.

You also need to deliver high-quality content over time to keep your audience engaged.

Ecommerce

Starting an eCommerce business has never been more accessible – platforms like Amazon provide sellers with all they need to get up and running.

Starting an ecommerce business can require money depending on the platform you use and the type of products you sell, but you can find ideas that require little money down if you find products that provide arbitrage opportunities.

Social Media Consultant

Social media marketing is one of the most in-demand skills today.

As a social media consultant, you can help businesses with their social media marketing needs.

With businesses needing social media presence to remain competitive, you can also become an expert on how social media management tools work.

This allows you to provide your services with little to no money upfront – and with the bulk of the work getting taken care of by tools, providing you with a ton of growth potential.

Web Design

Most small businesses need a website, and as the demand for web design increases, so does the opportunity to start a web design business.

Having graphic design skills also increases your chances of success as a web designer, allowing you to demand higher fees.

These no-code web design software make it easy to create a website without learning complex programming languages.

SEO consultant

SEO, or search engine optimization, is another in-demand skill that you can use to start a business.

As an SEO consultant, you can help businesses improve their organic search ranking and drive traffic to their website.

Tons of SEO tools exist that can help you with this type of business, and many of them have free plans that you can use to get started.

You can also specialize in this area.

For example, those that do SEO for bloggers would stand out compared to those that do general SEO for all types of businesses.

Again, this allows you to charge higher rates, and as you get better, you’ll be able to offer a valuable service that not many other consultants can provide.

Online Course Creation

With various online course platforms like Thinkific and Teachable, it’s easier than ever to create and sell an online course.

This means you can use your existing knowledge and expertise to create a course on any topic.

Creating an online course is a great way to demonstrate your expertise and authority in your field and can lead to high ticket sales.

Online Chatbot Creation

Another trend is the demand for chatbots.

This is rising as more businesses are looking for ways to automate their customer service.

As an online chatbot creator, you can help businesses save time and money by creating chatbots that can handle customer inquiries 24/7.

Knowing how to create high-performing AI chatbots allows you to go to businesses with a valuable solution to help them scale their various operations.

In most cases, it’s also a drag and drop solution that you’ll provide, meaning that you don’t need to use any code to get the job done.

Virtual Assistant Business

Providing virtual assistant services is another low-cost option for starting a business.

Work from home jobs are at an all-time high, so there’s never been a better time to get started.

You can also specialize in a particular area, which increases your value (and potential earnings) as a virtual assistant.

For example, you could become a real estate virtual assistant and help clients with scheduling appointments, researching properties, and managing social media accounts.

Alternatively, you could become a social media virtual assistant and help businesses with tasks like content creation, community management, and reporting.

Freelance Writer

Freelance writing is all about creating high-quality content for businesses.

As a freelance writer, you can write blog posts, articles, website copy, and more – all from the comfort of your own home.

There are several ways to get started as a freelance writer, and many businesses are willing to pay top dollar for high-quality content.

Couple this service with SEO, and you have a valuable skill set that businesses are willing to pay handsomely for.

Building Apps

Apps cost businesses a lot of money to develop, but not having one can cost them even more.

As an app developer, you can help businesses save money by developing high-quality apps that solve specific problems.

With the rise of no-code development platforms, you don’t even need to know how to code to get started in this business.

No-code platforms are drag and drop, which means anyone can create an app without learning complex coding languages, creating a win-win for both you and your clients.

Getting Money to Scale

As your business grows, you’ll need to reinvest money back into the business to keep it growing.

This is known as scaling and it’s a necessary part of any business.

While you can achieve everything you need to get your business up and running with hard work and dedication, there will come a time when you’ll need to put money into the business to take it to the next level.

With such capital being one of the most difficult things to obtain, here are a few ideas to get you started.

Save Money

Building up your saving muscle will help you in both your personal and professional life.

The earlier you start saving, the easier it will be to reach your financial goals.

Start by creating a budget and sticking to it.

A successful business is built on a foundation of financial discipline.

Start a Part-Time

Having a side hustle that can help you generate extra income is a great way to raise money for your business.

Not only will this give you a financial cushion, but it will also give you the time you need to perfect your business model and build a strong foundation for your business.

Having a Lean Startup

One of the best ways to get started in this area is by following the lean startup method, where you bootstrap your way to success.

This involves starting with a minimum viable product (MVP) and then working on adding features as you grow.

While many try to have a perfect product before launch, this method allows you to get your business up and running quickly and with minimal cost, saving you time and money in the long run.

Keep Your Day Job

For many people, the thought of quitting their day job to start a business is a scary proposition.

But you don’t necessarily have to do this to be successful.

Keeping your day job while starting a business on the side is a great way to get everything off the ground.

Not only will you have a steady income to work with, but you’ll also have the security of a full-time job.

Provide Services to Generate Cash Flow

Having the skill set to provide services is a great way to generate income for your business.

This can be anything from web design to social media marketing.

The key is to find a service that you’re good at and that people are willing to pay for.

It would also help if the service you provide does not take up a ton of time as you’ll need to balance it with your day job, and your new business.

Consider a Business Startup Fund

If you’re having trouble saving money for your business, you may want to consider a business startup fund.

These funds are designed to help small businesses get off the ground.

You can also research a small business loan or even local funding options.

Consider also the SBA loan program – this is a government-backed loan program that offers small business loans.

This is an excellent option if you have a solid business plan and you’re having trouble getting traditional financing.

Lenders that participate in the SBA Loan Program are typically more willing to work with small businesses.

With the help of the SBA, a service business can access the funding it needs to grow.

There might also be various small business grants that you can apply for which can help with the costs of starting your business.

Consider Crowdfunding

Websites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo offer a great way to raise money for your business.

Here, you’ll create a campaign and set a funding goal.

If people like your campaign, they’ll donate money to help you reach your goal.

You’ll need to entice people to donate by offering rewards like early access to your product or a thank you on your website.

Get Investment

While some business owners don’t want to consider angel investors and venture capitalists when starting off, it’s good to consider that some people may be willing to invest in your business if you have a great business idea.

You might have to give up some equity in your business, but the investment could be worth it if it helps you get started or scaling your business.

Find Someone with Capital

If you have skills but not the money, teaming up with someone who has the capital (but not the skills) can be a great way to get your business off the ground.

Using Linkedin to find the right person can be a great way to get going.

While this person can be a co-founder and is involved from the beginning by providing startup capital, you can also bring in someone as a partner at a later stage in the business.

Wrap Up.

No matter what kind of business you get started with, potential customers need to be able to confidently say that your company can solve a problem they have.

This also means that one of the best ways to get started is to do the proper market research and plan what solutions your business will be providing.

Once you have a solid plan, get feedback from potential customers to validate your business idea.

Then, it’s time to start building your business.

The key to getting started in business with no money is to dial in on these aspects and be willing to put in the time to make it successful.

With effort and perseverance, you can get your business off the ground.

Further reading on AdamEnfroy.com: Here’s my story about how I started a blog and made over $1 million in less than two years.

Hopefully, it can give you some ideas for your own business

In addition, it’s good to know there are various marketplaces where you can buy and sell online businesses.

Once you have the money to invest, you may want to consider acquiring an existing online business while selling yours at a profit.

Finally, if you want more business ideas, check out these low-cost, high-profit ones for more information.