Starting business without capital, really? Is it doable? Majority of you ask themselves how to to start a business with no money? The short and quick answer is YES! Its possible, its doable, its practical. In this article we shall look at the strategies you can deploy to launch your startup with no money. Digital tools are making starting a business more affordable than ever.
Remember, even though you might need some money for cash flow, starting business needs more of the skills and experience than the capital.
Don’t be duped to look for a business loan upfront. Every business is different and starting your business will depend on several factors.
Related Post: 14 Home Businesses You Can Start With No Money
With the explosion of digital tools, would-be entrepreneurs have more opportunities than ever to fund their businesses.
It’s absolutely possible to start a business with no money, or at least with so little you’ll hardly miss it. If you’re ready to apply hard work, ingenuity, and resourcefulness, your business can be up and running in no time.
Here are some tips on how to start a business with no money.
How To Start A Business With No Money
Have you been wondering how you can start a business with no money or experience? You’re not alone. Many people, just like you, dream of getting into the self-employment world by owning a business. You may even already have a good idea in mind.
Unfortunately, some people end up completely putting off their ambitions. Where most people lose interest is when they realize that it takes money to start a business. But, is it really impossible to launch a business without any startup capital? The answer might surprise you.
1. Minimize Your Spending To Save Some Money
When starting a business with no money, lower your costs as much as possible.
You can start by taking these steps;
- Use Cheap or Free Services. WordPress or Wix are free services that allow you to build a basic website and market your business using Facebook or Instagram. For accounting and project management there’s Wave and Wrike respectively.
- Invest In Only What’s Essential. Deciphering wants from needs can be tricky. In general, if something is essential to your survival, then it counts as a need. For your business, this should be directly related to revenue generation, such as marketing and training.
- Enact a Spending Freeze. Choose a length of time, whether a week, a month or six months, during which you do not purchase any products or services you do not need.
- Work From Home. A business that can be run from home requires less capital than a storefront, warehouse, or office.
- Get Free or Used Equipment. You might be able to get a free computer, for instance, over at FreeCyle. Or, you can head over to EquipNet to scope out used office equipment or furniture.
2. Don’t Quit Your Day Job If You Have One
It’s cool to have a big business idea.
It’s even cooler to actually make that idea a reality. But, let’s be real here. Ideas don’t put food on the table.
It’s rarely a good idea to quit your day job and start a business that hasn’t been tested. Moreover, your chances of succeeding are better if you stay employed at your day job.
The reason? As you begin and build your business, it will be easier for you to take risks if you have a steady income. Although this may be difficult at first it will help you scale your business faster. Additionally, this gives you the freedom to pursue new opportunities.
Related Post: 50+ Profitable Small Business Ideas
Additionally, you can invest and grow your business faster with your income. You will also find transitioning from an employee into a business owner much easier once your business begins to thrive. In other words, you should build a solid foundation if you hope to achieve long-term success.
How long should you keep your day job? That depends. However, it’s suggested that wait until you have at least six months of expenses saved.
It usually takes about six months before you begin to see any cash flow. So, if having this stashed away prevents you from living on credit or depleting your savings.
3. Network With Communities of Support
There’s no need to go it alone as you jump into entrepreneurship. And in fact, joining in-person and digital communities of like-minded peers can be an incomparable help in moving you forward.
“You can attend events and trade shows where prospective investors can be found,” says Eliza Nimmich, cofounder and COO of Tutor The People. “Through social networking platforms, you can even access different online communities where you can find helpful advice and support to bring your company to life.”
Tapping into the knowledge, advice, and even funding that others offer can be done without spending almost anything, though it’s important to have a lot of congeniality and goodwill in the bank.
4. Focus On Businesses Require Little Upfront Capital
After considering what you have at your disposal, are there any low-cost business ideas that correspond? Again, if you’re a pizza aficionado, then starting a blog is an obvious business idea that requires little capital upfront.
In fact, the number of businesses you can start today requires little or no money initially. Particularly, service-based businesses.
A service-based business is one in which you sell services as your primary product. Due to the fact that you won’t be selling products, you won’t need inventory, a shop to manufacture the goods, or a warehouse to store them.
5. Find Alternative Funding Sources
Despite the fact that you may need little to no money to start a business, there is a good chance you will incur some expenses along the way, especially if you expand. Fortunately, you have several funding options available to you.
- Credit Cards. While they may be the easiest way to obtain short-term financing, they have some drawbacks as well. One drawback is that they are very expensive. Most cash advances come with high-interest rates. Cash advances are typically charged an upfront fee of between 3% and 5% with credit cards.
- Friends and Family. Prepare a business proposal to help you raise money if you know someone with enough capital to help fund your venture. Most importantly, you should set clear expectations about doing business with family or friends to avoid misunderstandings.
- Business Loans. Usually, a bank or alternative lender will make a business loan to a company. Small business loans come with high-interest rates, fees, and repayment terms, so do your research before applying for one. Generally, lenders consider your credit history, business history, annual revenue, and ability to pay back the loan when approving your loan.
Related Post: How To Turn Blog Into Business – Make Money Blogging
- Home Equity Loans and Home Equity Lines of Credit. If you have sufficient equity in your home and are a homeowner, this will be an option. However, the collateral for the loan is going to be your home. You’re still responsible for the equity loan or line of credit if your business fails.
- Crowdfunding. Consider crowdfunding (raising money from many donors) if you don’t feel comfortable asking someone to help finance your business. It is possible to raise money through a donation, debt, reward, or equity crowdfunding campaign.
- Retirement Plan Loans. The IRS allows you to borrow up to 50% of your vested interest in your plan, or $50,000. But, you must continue working in order to receive the loan. You will need to repay the loan within 60 days if you leave your job to start your new business venture.
- Business Grants. Business grants are a form of free capital given to companies to help them expand. They come with a number of requirements and stipulations, though. The competition for business grants can be fierce as well. This means that you should only apply for grants that directly relate to your business, such as business grants for women or business grants for minorities.
6. Vet Your Business Idea
You’re probably going to put money into your idea eventually, even if you’re reinvesting the profits.
“Before you put money in your business, make sure you validate your idea within your trusted circle,” says Fahim Sheikh, owner of SaaS company Trellis. “Sometimes, we think we have a great idea, but when we explain it or pitch it to others, we often realize that the concept may be a tough sell.”
It’s important to ensure your idea has legs that will make it worth your time and ultimately earn you a profit despite the low startup costs.
7. Invest Only What You Can Afford To Lose
A golden rule of investing is to never invest money that you can’t afford to lose. And, that definitely also applies to starting a business.
You can maintain flexibility in the business by investing only what you can afford to lose. It also reduces stress and prevents overreaching. And, you may never launch your business because you’ll invest only when you expect a specific return.
As an example, let’s say that there’s a person who refuses to quit their well-paying job until they find one that pays more.
In contrast, one might decide to invest a small amount of money and three years into a project that they’re passionate about — regardless of whether it will pay more than they’re making now.
Frequently Asked Questions – How To Start a Business With No Money
1. Do I Have What It Takes To Start a Business?
Even if you have an idea for a business, the best place to begin your planning process is to decide whether you have the skills required to start and operate a business
An objective assessment of your skills, abilities, and talents as well as an assessment of your strengths, weaknesses, and personal situation are necessary when determining whether you possess business acumen.
2. Can I Really Start a Business For Free?
Short answer; yes.
It is possible to start a low-cost business on a shoestring and scale it up later. It is not unusual for businesses to start small, working from home or online, then expand and hire more employees while finding a larger location.
3. When Can I Expect My Business To Turn a Profit?
Generally, it takes between six months and a year to reach profitability.
Taking this into consideration, technological advancements and advances in communications have made it very easy to start your own business with almost no overhead, especially in a service-based economy.
Here is where the importance of a business plan shines brightest, since a plan will allow you to project your profitability.
4. What Kind of Business Should I Start?
If you’re unsure, you should start something in your area of expertise. You should view the start-up of any business as an investment in your own human potential. Although you could generate income for another company using your skills, you decided that opening a business will be a better option for you.
In the same way that you wouldn’t invest in stocks or other investment vehicles outside your comfort zone, you shouldn’t do that with your own strengths. If you choose a business in a category you already know a lot about, starting a business will be easier, even if it’s not always a seamless process.
5. How Will I Market My Business?
Marketing your business will be easier if you know your target audience. B2B audiences may respond better to webinars and white papers, while younger audiences may benefit from social media.
Understanding where and how you will market your business is crucial before you start a business. Brands that have successfully communicated their value proposition have become world leaders.
Defining your unique selling proposition and communicating it to the right people should be your marketing focus before you launch. Poor marketing can be fatal for new companies.