Start Your Business
Ready to start your business? Learn how to develop a great business idea, research customers, set up your legal structure, and plan for the future with these startup resources.
How to Start a Business With No Money
Don’t let a lack of funding stop you—it’s still possible to start a lucrative business. You just need to harness existing resources, craft a viable business plan, and leverage networking for growth.
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Guide
26 Businesses You Can Start for Free
Starting a business doesn’t have to drain your bank account. There are plenty of business options out there that require little to no start-up capital. Here is a list of our favorites.
26 Businesses You Can Start for Free
Examples
Industry Startup Guides
Want to learn more about starting a specific type of business? Check out our growing list of industry startup guides for more detailed insights.
Industry Startup Guides
Free Download
Business Startup Checklist
Keep track of your progress and know what steps are coming up with this easy-to-use startup checklist.
Business Startup Checklist
How to Start a Nonprofit
Nonprofits are designed to pursue a mission, not generate profits. That doesn’t mean you can skip traditional startup steps—in fact, it may be even more crucial to your survival.
How to Start a Nonprofit
Questions to ask before starting a business
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Your strengths and weaknesses will impact how effectively you operate as an entrepreneur. If you aren’t aware of what they are, then you’ll struggle to identify opportunities and problems before it’s too late.
Read MoreHave you talked to the right people?
Don’t go into business alone. No, you don’t need to find a partner, but it’s worth chatting with people you trust to see how they respond to your idea and gather any advice they may have before starting.
Read MoreWhy are you starting a business?
Your reasons for starting a business will impact how likely you are to see it through. When the going gets tough, if you don’t have a firm reason for why you’re doing this, then you’ll struggle to keep going.
Read MoreHow much will it cost to start?
The cost of starting a business varies depending on the type, your location, and many other factors. The important thing is that you don’t just guess and actually budget and forecast your expenses beforehand.
Read MoreDo you have a good business idea?
A good business idea is something that people want, and that solves a problem in their lives. If you’re unsure that your business does that, then you need to get out and validate it with potential customers.
Read MoreWho are your competitors?
No business lacks competition. You need to know who they are, what they offer, and anything else that tells you how to position your business to be competitive.
Read MoreShould you quit your job?
It can be tempting to go all in on a business idea immediately. However, entrepreneurship is hard and risky, and it may not be the wisest choice to cut your primary source of income. To know if it is the right time, you need to determine when your business will be profitable and sustainable.
Read MoreHow will you make money?
The business model is surprisingly overlooked by many business owners. They get caught up in the idea and the allure of entrepreneurship but fail to determine how they will make money. Don’t reinvent the wheel and explore some common options to see what fits your business.
Read More12 steps to start your business
1. What to do before starting a business
Why are you starting a business? What does it take to be successful? Could you start with a side hustle? Let’s help you answer these and other vital questions before setting up your business.
1. What to do before starting a business
2. Find the right business idea
Once you know why you want to start a business, it’s time to find your idea. Learn what it takes to develop a good idea and explore our curated lists of potential business ideas that may be a good fit.
2. Find the right business idea
3. Validate your business idea
How do you know if your business idea will work? By testing it out and verifying that you’re solving a real problem for real people. Here’s what you should do after coming up with your business idea.
3. Validate your business idea
4. Conduct market research
Who are your customers? Who are your competitors? What does the industry look like? Will you be able to successfully enter this market? These are necessary questions to answer through a bit of research.
4. Conduct market research
5. Select your business model
How will you make money? This is answered with your business model, which covers how your costs, revenue streams, and customer expectations work together. And you don’t have to start from scratch—check out these common types of business models.
5. Select your business model
6. Price your products and services
What are your customers willing to pay? It’s difficult to know when starting out, but don’t let that stop you. Learn how to set initial prices and compare common pricing models that may work for your business.
6. Price your products and services
7. Write your business plan
You need a business plan before starting a business. This isn’t about checking a box but improving your understanding of what it takes to run a successful business.
7. Write your business plan
8. Make your business legal
Before setting up shop, you must check all the necessary legal boxes. Don’t worry about spending hours researching—we’ve compiled the most common legal requirements.
8. Make your business legal
9. Set up your finances
You need a firm grasp of your startup costs and funding needs. Which requires you to forecast your sales, expenses, and cash flow. That may sound daunting, but we’ve broken it down into steps to follow and even cover setting up accounting and payroll systems.
9. Set up your finances
10. Choose a business location
Will you be selling online? Running a traditional brick-and-mortar location? Maybe a bit of both? You need to consider where and how you’ll sell your products. Explore what to look for in a physical retail location and how to make a splash online.
10. Choose a business location
11. Put together your team
Learn when it’s the right time to hire, what makes a good employee, and how to successfully grow your team. Even if you’re running a business solo, you should know how your team will grow.
11. Put together your team
12. Market your business
Learn the basics of creating a small business marketing plan, including what to prepare beforehand and how to track the impact of your marketing efforts.
12. Market your business
Tips to start your business
Looking for additional guidance to help get your business off the ground? We’ve rounded up our favorite tips and resources from entrepreneurial experts to do just that.
Tips to start your business
Start a business FAQ
To start a business, you’ll need to:
- Identify and validate your business idea
- Conduct market research
- Select a business model and pricing strategy
- Write a business plan and financial plan
- Select your business structure
- Register your business
- Obtain licenses and permits
- Select an online or physical location
- Start building your team if necessary
- Promote your business
The amount of money needed to start a business varies greatly depending on the type and scale of the business. It could range from a few hundred dollars for a home-based service business to several thousand or even millions for a manufacturing or tech startup.
You must carefully consider and forecast your startup costs and cash flow to fully understand how much money you need to start.
The first step in starting a business is identifying a viable business idea and conducting market research to understand the demand, competition, and potential challenges. Additionally, it’s worth self-reflection to determine if you want to jump into entrepreneurship.
At a minimum, you’ll need a business idea, a business plan, capital, a legal structure, a registered business name, necessary licenses and permits, a business bank account, and an accounting system.
Starting a business with no money can be challenging but not impossible. You can consider service-based businesses that require minimal upfront costs. You can also minimize your upfront investment by starting your business as a side hustle while retaining a full or part-time job.
A clear and compelling value proposition, a strong understanding of the market and customers, and effective management and operations are three key elements that contribute to business success.
Starting a simple business often involves offering a service based on your skills or interests. This could be anything from pet sitting to graphic design. The key steps include identifying your service, understanding your market, setting prices, and promoting your business.
As a beginner, start with a business idea that aligns with your skills and passions. Conduct market research, write a one-page business plan, and test if your idea resonates with your target customers. Start small, learn from the experience, and gradually grow your business.
With only $100, consider a service-based or online business that requires minimal startup costs. This could be a consulting service, online tutoring, freelance writing, or selling handmade products. Use social media and free online tools for marketing and management to keep costs low.
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