Are you tired of working for someone else and want to start your own business? If yes, then you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we have listed the best business ideas that you can start with little money.
However, do remember, the road to starting a business will be full of excitement and challenges. You must have an entrepreneurial mindset, and good planning to turn your passion into a successful business.
List of 50 Best Business Ideas
1. Virtual Assistant
Companies often look for virtual assistants to help them with services remotely. It’s a well-paid job with no upfront investment. All you need is a computer and the Internet. You need to do basic tasks like checking emails, answering calls, organizing a to-do list, and updating calendars.
2. Cleaning Business
There’s a good demand for cleaning and janitorial services. You can start to offer cleaning services as a domestic cleaner without any investment. Once you have built up a few regular clients, you will have a healthy little business and then invest the money to expand and market your services.
3. Start a Blog
Running a blog can help you earn online. If you can stick to it dedicatedly, you can earn good money out of it. It’s easy to start and does not require any investment. There are multiple platforms to start a blog with a very small investment. Pick up a niche, choose a few subjects, and then start writing on them.
4. Handyman Services
You can be a handyman and offer services in exchange for cash. While you don’t need to invest anything, you will be paid for every successful job. This can either be window cleaning, tiles to be scrubbed, lawns to be raked, and more. You can leave friendly notes through letterboxes to market your services locally.
5. Senior Caring
Many aged people require assistance to perform their day-to-day household activities like cleaning, washing, laundry, and more. You can start this home-based business locally with no investment. It’s simple and easy, but you may have to acquire a license in some states and countries.
6. Data Entry Provider
A job you can do at night, or whenever you are free. Many small businesses need data to be entered manually and sorted on sheets. It’s really simple, and most importantly does not require any money to start. You can offer data entry services from home, even if you have a full-time job.
7. Online Writing Services
Many sites and authors pay you to write for them. If you have good writing skills, you can take up such assignments from UpWork or Fiverr, or any other freelance job-providing site. It’s easy and does not involve any investment as well. You can write on weekends or whenever you have time, even if you do a full-time job.
8. Gardening Services
You can help people manage their gardens in exchange for cash. You can start a business where you will specialize in gardening without any money. It’s really simple, as you will visit your client to help them with their gardening and intricate outdoor projects.
9. Pet Training Services
If you’re good with pets, you can use your skills in training dogs and other pets. You can choose to offer pet training services in your locality without much of anything, and most importantly without any money. It’s easy, and there’s no legal obligation attached as well.
10. Affiliate Marketer
You can make money with affiliate marketing via promotions. Affiliate programs pay you for successful transactions. It’s free and simple, and you can use various social media platforms to promote your affiliate products and services.
11. Errand Service
You offer a variety of services to customers for cash without any investment. It’s really easy, as you don’t require any specific skills for doing the jobs. You can start an errand service where you will be paid to handle various errands like laundry and grocery shopping in exchange for a fee.
12. Used Books Seller
You can start a business to sell used books online without any investment. You can sell some of your old books to start with. Then you can buy used books from different readers and sell them online. It’s easy and simple. Add up your profit margin, and then list the books on eBay or other sites as second-hand books.
13. Daycare Services
Daycare services are in huge demand around the globe. With some experience, you can turn daycare into a profitable venture. The business is easy to start and does not require any investment if you choose to operate from home. Though, you may need a license in some parts of the globe.
14. Tutoring
Tutoring is a very profitable business and easy to start. If you are good at making people understand things in a simple manner, you can make good money out of it. You don’t have to be a pro in any subject. Just with good communication skills, you can be a great teacher. You can also offer tutoring services out of your home without any money.
15. Social Media Marketing
Small businesses often need freelance social media managers. While you don’t need any additional qualifications and it’s really easy to do. It’s also a well-paid job if you can bring effective leads to customers. You can use your skills to help businesses manage their social media accounts by bringing in conversions.
16. Online Surveys
Do you wish to earn money from home without any investment? Well, online surveys will pay you for that. You don’t need to do anything specific. Just answer simple questions. Small online survey jobs without any skills will reward you to complete the set of questionnaires and opinions on varied subjects.
17. Podcaster
You can start a podcast channel on any free podcasting service. It’s easy to set up your own podcast online, and with some listeners, you will soon be able to tie up with advertisers and sponsors. There are multiple free platforms where you start your podcast business with a normal headset and mic.
18. Home Inspector
A zero-cost business idea, home inspectors help people buy homes. You can even partner with real estate projects to be their exclusive home inspector to help people buy homes. Keep yourself updated with all the new products appearing in the market and do keep a check with all the changing laws.
19. Pet Sitting Services
If you are someone who is good with pets, start a pet-sitting service from home. While it’s really easy to start, you can have some fun at the same time staying with pets without any investment. You can also offer to train their pets out of your home without any investment.
20. Homemade Ice Cream Business
You can start to make and sell ice cream from home. While there’s no big investment involved, you can start with a few basic materials at home. Start with selling in your area out of your home, and can scale up as you start making money with your homemade ice cream business.
21. Freelance Bookkeeping
Basic business accounting services are required by any business. If you have some knowledge of accounting, you can offer bookkeeping services online. It’s easy, has no investment involved and you don’t require any big degree. It’s a well-paid profession if you choose to work for a number of clients.
22. Graphics Design Services
Good graphics designs always remain in high demand and the payments are really good at the same time. You can learn to use the tools online for free and can start a graphics design business on your own. With an eye for creative skills, you can start to create some unique graphics for clients online.
23. YouTube Channel
If you have some skills to show, use YouTube to create a platform for yourself. You can show your skills to make money online just with a smartphone camera. You can be an online influencer. Though you need to keep creating quality content, there’s no investment involved.
24. Illustration Services
Well-detailed and creative illustrations are in good demand. From businesses to video-makers to content creators, all need different illustrations for in-depth pieces and artwork. You can create a routine with your clients for a steady stream of orders.
25. Online Coaching
If you have some knowledge of a particular subject, start an online coaching business. You can upload your classes for different courses, and students can pay you directly. You can even use platforms like Udemy or Coursera for a broader reach.
26. Freelance Writing Services
You can use your skill words to write for others. It can be writing projects online to offer content regularly. One can also write for corporate clients to help with their marketing projects to promote their products and services.
Read: How to Get a Freelance Writing Job
27. Copywriting Services
With an eye for creative content and writing skills, you can make money out of copywriting. While there’s no investment involved, you can start an online copywriting business from home. As a freelance copywriter, you can take up assignments from platforms like UpWork or Fiverr.
28. Grocery Delivery Services
Local shops don’t have dedicated delivery services. With a bike, you can opt to start a delivery service in your locality to help local shops offer delivery services without any investment. You can be a personal shopper as well to help them buy and deliver things for a small fee.
29. Referral Services
You can contact businesses asking them to pay you a fee for successful referrals. One can telemarket for them or promote their services and products via different channels. You can also work with customers to help them find what they want, and then, in turn, charge these businesses.
30. Scrapbook-Making Services
For a creative job, many look for creative scrapbook layouts. You can help people have their own scrapbooks with their desired layouts without any investment. You have to work on how they want their scrapbook to look, and assemble it for them.
31. Online Proofreading Services
Clients look for proofreaders online who can offer editing services. You will offer services online by letting clients send you their work. You return them after editing and proofreading for a fee. The business does not require any investment.
32. eBook Writer
Reading has seen a huge transformation over the decades. While the love for reading is still there, the medium had changed. People now read on the internet. If you have something great to share, you can write an eBook and self-publish it and sell it on platforms like Amazon’s Kindle library.
33. CV Writing Services
You can use your creative writing skills to start writing resumes and CVs online. The job is all about helping candidates crack an interview with strong resumes. You can charge them a fee for the cover letters and resumes you write on their behalf.
34. Life Coach
Use your human skills to offer life coaching services. While it’s a highly rewarding business, you can help people get better. You can offer your services online without any investment. You will communicate with your clients online, and they will pay you for every session.
35. Estate Sale Service
A growing business with time, estate sale service involves helping people organize and run estate sales. You will have to manage the buyers and leads without any investment. In exchange, you charge a flat fee or a percentage of the total selling price.
36. Online News Correspondent
You can start to write articles and opinion pieces every day from home. There are several online websites that need freelance journalists. You can start to work as a freelance online news correspondent without any investment.
37. Online Researcher
Different companies and businesses often require small surveys and research. You can start a business for free by offering online research services without any investment. You may have to contact different people and then revert back to the data collected.
38. Custom Embroiderer
Custom embroidery business does require some threading skills, but no investment. You can offer custom embroidery services. There are customers who need personalized clothing for events, theatre, and more.
39. Online Magazine Publisher
You can start an online magazine for free. You will need a few days to build your audience. But once you have a reader base, you can sell space for ads and sponsorships. There are multiple free cloud-based tools to start an online magazine or newsletter.
40. Massage Therapist
A profitable zero-cost business idea, just with a license and a bit of training you can be a massage therapist. You can grow your business by taking up orders online. If you want to offer health-related messages, you can also take up a masseuse course.
41. Walking Tour Guide
You can help people know about local history. You can be a local walking tour guide for tourists around your local commons, hills, or town, and share an insight into the history of your area for a small charge. While there’s no investment involved, in some parts of the world, you may require a certificate.
42. Auction Lister
With a camera and reasonable photography skills, you can start making money by listing items on online auction sites for other people. While there’s no investment involved upfront, you can make money on the percentage of successful sales.
43. Secretary For Hire
There are businesses that often require occasional secretarial support. These are not full-time secretaries. With average clerical skills, you can start to offer secretarial support to local businesses.
44. Leaflet Distributor
You can start a leaflet distribution service in your area to make money. There are still many businesses that prefer their leaflets to be distributed door to door.
45. Handcrafted Items
You can create handmade stationery, bedazzled clothing, and altered art at home to sell them online via sites like ETSY, Artbreak, and Boundless Gallery. You can even showcase your talent at craft fairs and art shows for added exposure.
46. House Sitting
You can start a wide range of house-sitting businesses from your home. Use SitterCity or Care.com to enroll yourself for free to offer house-sitting services without any investment. The services will include babysitting, elderly companionship, and pet sitting in your locality.
47. Cookery Writer
If you have awesome culinary skills, start an online cookery book of your own through a site like blurb.com or Amazon Kindle. Sales will come in from the site, and you can sell yourself to new prospective clients. You can be a cookery author with your own exclusive recipes.
48. Focus Group Organiser
There are small businesses that often need focus groups for marketing research purposes. You may have to go to networking events, provide flyers, and spread information about new products, or websites to organize focus groups for businesses.
49. Meal Delivery Service
There are many who are too busy or too lazy to cook. You can offer to deliver dishes of their liking home-cooked by you out for your home for a monthly fee or individual deliveries by food delivery apps.
50. Dog Walker
Most dog owners have no time to take their dogs out. You can choose to offer dog walking services in your locality without any investment. Start by asking the pet owners around your home. After a few successful completion, you can spend some money to market your services.
These are some of the best business ideas to start with small money. While there’s little investment involved, you should start investing in your business to expand as you start making money!
Editorial Team at 99BusinessIdeas is a team of experts led by Rupak Chakrabarty with over 25 years of experience in starting and running small businesses. Started in 2010, 99BusinessIdeas is now one of the largest free small business resources in the industry.