Photo Credit: ddpavumba
I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit. This probably stems from the fact that everyone on my Dad’s side of the family has started a business at some point or another in their life. It’s what I’ve grown up around and consequently business ideas are always on my mind.
If you want to be a business owner you have to start somewhere. Since you probably don’t have thousands of dollars to throw into a new business you have to start at the bottom and work your way up.
Here are five low cost businesses that you can start today.
Landscaping
My Dad owns two greenhouses so of course landscaping is at the top of my list. If you own a mower and weed eater and enjoy working outdoors then landscaping can be the perfect business for you.
The biggest cost you’ll incur will be liability insurance. I used to sell commercial insurance and the premium was usually a flat $450 per year for small landscaping businesses. This may vary from state to state though.
Freelance Writing
Writing can be lucrative if you can crank out several articles per day or demand a high rate for your work. It costs virtually nothing to get started freelance writing, although it may be a good idea to start a writer’s website or blog for yourself.
Finding clients is the hardest part about earning a living writing but with consistent effort and a little bit of time it can be done.
Blogging/Product Creation
There’s a debate between bloggers around whether you can call a blog a business. I think it just depends. Some blog for fun and others blog for a living. So, blogging can be a business.
You can create a product – such as a course or eBook and then blog to attract customers to your products. Or, if you can gain enough traffic to your blog you can monetize through advertising and affiliate programs.
Independent Sales
I am horrible at trying to sell people items so unfortunately I don’t have any experience in this arena.
However, my Aunt used to sell Mary Kay products on the side and found some success. I also have a friend who has found success in Herbalife. There are many items that you can sell. I think the key factor is to pick a product you really believe in. You want to benefit other people’s lives’ not leave them feeling ripped off.
Day Care
I give praise to those who have the patience to start a day care of babysitting service. The woman who babysits my two daughters also watches three other kids. Of the five kids the oldest is five! Somehow she keeps her sanity and is wonderful with all of them.
Finding someone you trust with your kids is no easy feat. I would pay my babysitter far more than she currently charges if she ever decided to raise her rate. If you can prove yourself to be a great day care provider you can earn a lot of money.
Get Started
We all have to start somewhere and since we aren’t born with silver spoons in our mouths this translates to starting a low cost business.
Once you get going and start earning some money save it up and upgrade to the business you truly want to own.