10 Businesses You Can Start Without Any Money

The first question that would come to your mind is: Is that even possible? Is it even possible to start a business without any money? Unfortunately, most of us think that it’s impossible to start a business without shelling out fat cash. Well, it’s true to some point, but investing huge amount is not necessary.

Hence, in this post I’ll list down 10 businesses you can start with no money. Please note that all the businesses I list down here may seem small, but they have huge potential, and I’m tried most of them at least once.

Ready? Let’s gooo…

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Business 1: Freelancing

In the past few years, freelancing has become one of the best ways to make money from home. The beauty of freelancing is that there are no contracts, and you can work from anywhere. What many don’t seem to know is that you can also establish a business around freelancing. See, you won’t need any money to become a freelancer.

In fact, there are many freelancers who have a company in their name and deliver services without hiring anyone. For example, if you are good at graphic design, you can provide graphic design services on Fiverr or any other freelancing platforms.

The money you earn from your services comes with almost zero investment. The only thing you have to spend is your time and energy. No money. Hard time believing? If you aren’t convinced that freelancing is a good career, find a random Fiverr account and check how many orders they receive daily. You can make enough on Fiverr if you’re good at your thing.

I personally know a logo designer on Fiverr who pulls in 6-figures monthly only from logo design. He started in 2015 and never looked back. Today, he has established a 10-person graphic design business.

Business 2: Baby Sitting Service

Babysitting requires only your time and patience, without the need for a financial investment. However, establishing a business in this industry is an entirely different challenge. Much like freelancing, success in babysitting services depends on your skill and reputation. The more people who know you, the better your earnings.

To begin, you can start with a website and then expand to an app, gradually scaling up your business. While significant funds may be necessary for larger ventures, you can initiate a service without spending hundreds or millions of dollars. All that’s required is a unique domain, a website, and a network of people you know and trust.

Similar to other automated services, babysitting can serve as an excellent source of passive income. The system operates seamlessly, and your role involves periodic checks to ensure smooth functioning. Your babysitting service acts as a bridge connecting parents with interested babysitters. The demand for babysitting is high among teens and adults seeking extra income. Those who truly strike gold are the ones who own and manage a successful babysitting business.

Business 3: YouTube

YouTube stands as the sole S-tier social media platform available. Despite the widespread dissatisfaction with YouTube, users find themselves unable to part with it because no other platform matches its quality. In recent years, YouTube influencers have amassed earnings surpassing those of random company CEOs. Although Google restricts influencers from disclosing their income on the platform, occasional revelations still occur.

The average YouTuber earns enough to cover their monthly expenses. Naturally, this doesn’t refer to those in the big leagues. Success on YouTube is achievable if you passionately love something and excel at it. For instance, if you excel at skiing and have a genuine passion for it, people will enjoy watching your videos, and YouTube will actively promote your channel.

Initial income primarily comes from ads, but as your channel expands, brands will approach you for sponsorships. Once you’re on a brand’s radar, your life can undergo a transformative change before you realize it.

You can commence your YouTube journey without investing a single dime, and today, you have the potential to earn hundreds of thousands monthly through ads, sponsorships, brand deals, and more. A piece of advice: While some argue that YouTube is saturated and success is nearly impossible, it has indeed become more challenging to stand out. Nevertheless, if you genuinely excel at something, you should start creating content and prove them wrong.

Business 4: Virtual Assistant (VA)

Virtual Assistants (VAs) are currently in high demand, leading to the emergence of companies connecting VAs with businesses and individuals. This surge in demand mirrors the freelancing business model, with the key distinction being that VAs typically work with one client and enter into a contractual agreement. However, it’s common for VAs to have multiple clients.

Being a VA comes with its challenges. You might find yourself tasked with assignments outside your usual scope, such as sorting through thousands of emails daily for your client. Yet, if you’re looking to rapidly develop time management skills, becoming a VA is an excellent option.

Interestingly, many successful YouTubers started their careers as VAs. They eventually leveraged their experience to build a career, and it worked out for them. So, whether you choose the path of YouTube or decide to establish a business from scratch, the possibilities are open.

Business 5: Affiliate Marketing

I cannot emphasize enough how profitable affiliate marketing can be. The earning potential is literally limitless. If you’re skeptical, just search for “Affiliate income,” and you’ll find numerous videos of people showing proof of their annual or monthly affiliate income from various sources.

The beauty of affiliate marketing lies in the fact that you don’t need to have your own product. Instead, you promote someone else’s product and earn a percentage from it. While a business that creates a product can only focus on that one product, as an affiliate marketer, you can concentrate on countless products and earn from multiple sources.

A few years ago, I discovered affiliate marketing and earned $150 from just one sale. Unfortunately, at the time, I wasn’t experienced enough to fully grasp the whole thing. Since affiliate marketing provides a completely passive income stream, you don’t have to actively work to see the money flowing into your bank account.

Have you checked on YouTube? What was the highest affiliate income you came across? Do let me know.

Business 6: Consulting

Unlike affiliate marketing, consulting is a fully active income, which means the payout can be substantial. Consultants often earn a minimum consultation fee of $500, sometimes for just a few minutes of their time.

You’ve likely heard about consulting firms, so you understand the concept. There are major firms generating billions of dollars solely through consulting. Take Infosys, for example, an Indian information technology company that rakes in billions in profits annually.

Infosys’ primary business model is consultation, and its founder is filthy rich. I’m not insisting that you make consulting your primary business, but if you’re interested, have damn well knowledge, there’s a chance for significant financial success.

Business 7: Online Course Selling

I purchased my first online course from Udemy, not anticipating that the online course industry would grow to this extent. While I’m not endorsed by Udemy, I must admit that I haven’t found any other platform as effective for selling courses. Although Skillshare is another option, it differs from Udemy.

The best part is that you don’t need to invest any money to showcase your course on Udemy. All you have to do is create an account and list your courses. When someone purchases your course, Udemy transfers the money to your PayPal account after deducting a portion of it.

So, if you have knowledge you believe you can share with others, go ahead and create a course to list on Udemy. While some people monetize their courses, requiring a fee, if your course is valuable and easy to understand, people will be willing to purchase it. Once you establish yourself on Udemy, the possibilities are endless. You can create more courses and increase your earnings.

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Business 8: Fitness Coach

If you’re a fitness enthusiast, becoming a fitness coach presents a fantastic business opportunity without the need to start a gym. Instead, you’ll serve as a guide to individuals new to fitness, whether it’s in the realm of the gym, yoga, or any activity that promotes wellness. As a coach, your responsibility is to assist your clients in achieving their fitness goals efficiently.

Being a fitness coach extends beyond instructing on physical fitness; it involves instilling dedication and overcoming limitations. In any gym, you’ll observe individuals pushing themselves to their limits. This not only contributes to achieving excellent physical fitness but also strengthens the mind.

A fitness coach serves as a motivator and empowers beginners to surpass their previous efforts. If you enjoy inspiring people through fitness, trying your hand at being a fitness coach is worthwhile. Additionally, the potential pay is substantial if you excel at it.

Business 9: Blogging

I assume you’re familiar with how to start a blog, but did you know that you can do it with absolutely no money? Yes, and you won’t even need to purchase a domain. I’m referring to Blogger. If you’re hesitant to invest in websites and want to avoid any risks, then Blogger is your best option.

You also don’t need to worry about the platform disappearing if Google were to change its mind suddenly. Blogger has been in operation for decades, and there are still some well-known websites running on Blogger.

Certainly, you won’t have the same level of freedom as with a WordPress website, but it’s a starting point at least. Later, if you want to transfer from Blogger to WordPress you’ll have to hire a developer who can do it. You’ll find developers who can transfer your Blogger data to your new WordPress on freelancing websites like Fiverr and Upwork.

Business 10: Social Media Management

As the name suggests, Social Media Management revolves around overseeing a social media account, be it for a business or a celebrity. Your role as a social media manager is to ensure that the respective social media account functions optimally.

Originally, social media managers worked independently, but as more social media platforms emerged, these independent SMMs picked up the opportunity and joined the field. Since the entire operation is conducted online, there’s no obligation to rent office space; you can efficiently manage a business’s social media account from the comfort of your home.

Social media managers tend to keep their earnings discreet, but leaked information suggests that big brands and celebrities pay them substantial amounts to broaden their reach. Given that SMMs don’t require a physical presence, the associated expenses are minimal.