How important is start-up capital?
A business without start-up capital can become a reality today if the future entrepreneur has two resources - intellectual and human.
The first presupposes the presence of an idea and ways to implement it. The second is comprehensive support from loved ones, friends or acquaintances. This is primary in any business and is much more valuable than a couple of million in a bank account. Of course, money makes it easier to start, an indisputable fact.
But it is much more important if a person knows what exactly will bring a guaranteed income. You can go broke with a large initial investment in a project that is obviously not working. And you can soar to unprecedented heights without having a penny in your pocket.
On the Internet you can find a million business ideas, with a detailed amount of initial investment calculated by specialists. But there are also alternative options, which for some reason are kept silent. For example:
- Sale of freshly squeezed juices – capital $7,000. You can start with a regular juicer and gradually find clients.
- Sewing and repairing clothes - investments of $10-20 thousand for studio equipment. What's wrong with the idea of a home workshop?
- Delivery services – initial investment of $15,000. But you can deliver goods in your own old car.
The list can be endless.
The essence is the same: the idea is primary. Starting a business without starting capital is possible. To make it easier to choose a niche, we present several options for your own business that will not require a penny of investment from the entrepreneur.
Troubleshooting: how to open your own business without initial capital
Author Editorial Board of the “Society” Rubric
06.11.2018 15:43
Society » Family » Wallet
How to honestly earn a million and secure your future? Is this possible? And if yes, then how? And what is more important: to be a versatile specialist, to possess a wide variety of skills - or to be a super professional in a certain field? , told Pravda.Ru about this and much more in the Point of View program .
— You said that one of the components of success is to do everything yourself. But a diametrically opposite opinion prevails. After all, if you do everything yourself, you will be forced to confine yourself to a fairly small space. Because you can’t do all the work and you won’t earn all the money. Of course, it’s easier to do it yourself than to organize and motivate, control and work with people. But a large team will do more than any one person.
- Undoubtedly. I didn’t say do it, but be able to do it. To be able to do means that at any second I can replace any of my partners and of my people. As for motivation, there are two ways. The first is that you threaten and pay money. Option two - you smile and make yourself look better in front of everyone. Then you become a god for them.
“When you know how to do it yourself, it’s easier to explain to your subordinates what and how to do it, and they won’t be able to justify themselves for failure to do it.” But, on the other hand, there is an opinion that managers, especially high-level top managers at the state level, can effectively manage completely different areas, because the main thing is not so much to understand the process itself, but to be able to organize and direct. That is, the specialty is this: professional managers or effective managers.
- Yes and no. What do managers think and do? They think that if there is a difficulty, then they need to call a meeting. And there they skim off the cream from the specialists - the best thoughts, and then these effective managers appropriate them, reformat them, not always successfully, and present solutions that are far from always the best.
I do things differently. I worked for 20 years in the best financial and industrial group in the CIS, during which time I held 13 positions. I was the head of security, analytics, risk specialist, lawyer, worked in collections, retail sales and corporate...
In addition, I have worked in five countries, working in the insurance, food and telecom industries. I constantly had clients, partners, and my own businesses. That is, I generalize the experience of all those people with whom I interacted or who paid me money.
When I say something, any thought I have has already passed through all the professions that I know. I don’t need the opinion of specialists; I conduct the meeting in my head. I just tell them what to do. And when you gather 50 people, hold them for two hours in order to express some simple thought, this is not management, this is a waste of time.
“Then you should definitely get the recipes for our viewers and readers.” What is the best way to look for real goals, how to set them correctly, how to gather strength? Because you can come up with the stupidest goal...
— There are many people who constantly think about the meaning of life. Well, what do they think? They ask questions to someone, that is, they ask one, two, three - they ask all sorts of gurus or more senior people. Unfortunately, this still won't work. You cannot ask someone for the purpose of life. Everyone must find the purpose of life themselves.
How it's done? First of all, reflection. That is, turn off the phone, forget about TVs and, for example, just walk in the park. In business, the goal of the business, the search for this goal is the same.
Everyone has a lot of ideas, but everyone says: if I had money, I would open such and such an enterprise. Or, if I had the equipment, I would do something like this, or there would be space...
But almost any business can be opened from nothing. All the businesses I build, I create from scratch. I even had my own antivirus, it would seem that it was much more complicated, what could be more difficult to do? But instead of working with students, we made an antivirus, which became the 29th one on the planet. And we started from nothing. Now I’m making a Troubleshooter School out of nothing, out of nothing.
- But why emptiness? This is your experience, it is not emptiness, but capital.
- Agree. I just mean something different. The fact is that everyone has the opportunity to accumulate knowledge and learn something. I constantly—every summer, while still a schoolboy and student—worked somewhere. I separately studied plumbing, separately learned to work with metal, separately learned to melt glass. I consciously went and learned to work with animals and so on.
All this and much more is real experience. And any person always has two options: either he has gadgets all his life that he plays with: some kind of toy soldiers or in a sandbox kindergarten, or he masters a profession.
It's a matter of what he wants. If you have a desire, and you constantly make it come true, then the rest will follow over time.
Photo source: pxhere.com
Interviewed by Inna Novikova
Prepared for publication by Yuri Kondratyev
Infobusiness
Information is a valuable commodity. People are willing to pay for experience and knowledge. Just remember the questions in public social networks: “How to get to the Opera and Ballet Theater?”, or “What documents are needed to obtain a foreign passport?” Now read the answers. Many users recommend turning to Google for help. But a search engine has a billion pages and an incredible amount of information that must be carefully studied before you find the right answer. Why not make it easier to search within a specific topic for a fee? This is the essence of the information business.
Ideally, an entrepreneur creates a website and posts information for free that should attract subscribers. This, of course, requires money. At first, you can do without your own resource, or rather, replace it with an account on social networks. In the same way, information about the product, contact details and ways to find out more about the product are laid out.
That's it, your information business is launched. All that remains is to keep the audience’s attention and constantly update the content in order to offer detailed information for a fee in the future.
Sale of goods from China in parks and squares
Taobao and Aliexpress are sources of an endless variety of ideas and the same number of cheap goods. Even a person far from economic concepts can start a business without start-up capital with the help of Chinese industry. It's simple: buy low, sell high. Where to sell? In high traffic areas - parks, squares, stadiums. You will need very little money to register an individual entrepreneur, purchase goods, and obtain permission to set up a table or tent. All this can be organized for a modest 10-15 thousand rubles. Profitability reaches 300%. That is, you can sell cases for smartphones, soap bubbles or soft toys for 3-5 times more expensive.
The payback period for the project is 1-2 months. But it is better to fully invest the profit received in business development. This will allow for year-round trade.
Taxi
You can open your own business without start-up capital in the field of passenger transportation, provided that you have your own car. The concept of your own business is inherent in the name - you transport people, you get paid. But the goal is to develop your own business, not to gain additional income. Therefore, the priority is to accumulate capital in order to open your own dispatch service with hired drivers, and then a taxi fleet for 10-20 cars. Therefore, working as a taxi driver at the first stage is about experience and the formation of a client base.
You will need to: register an individual entrepreneur, obtain permission to transport people, download special programs to your smartphone and go on the first flight. It is advisable to talk with experienced taxi drivers to avoid common mistakes and not run into trouble on your first day of work.
Where does the idea of starting your own business begin?
First, you need to choose a suitable topic for yourself, something that is needed, because many empires were built precisely during periods of crisis.
The more relevant the business idea, the higher its chances of success.
Then you can calculate how much it will cost to open such a business.
You can start with your own small-scale production, and as profits come in, increase the scale of your own activities.
Or simply find people who are ready to fully provide the business with initial capital if the project seems sensible to them.
You can always try a franchise business, but again, it is not completely your own business.
You will have to constantly report, and there is practically no chance to introduce something new.
When you look for ways to open a business without initial capital, you significantly reduce your risks.
Therefore, there is no need to be afraid to implement your own ideas for business.
Video blogging
Making money on a YouTube channel has already become a classic of business and making money on the Internet. We must start, as elsewhere, with education. Namely, watch videos on the topic “How to become a video blogger?”, “How to shoot a video correctly?” etc. It is better to pay attention to well-known, well-promoted bloggers who have at least 1 million subscribers. When you understand the system and how profit is made, decide on a niche. It is advisable to choose genres in which you have experience or simply have a passion. There are as many directions as there are channels on YouTube. And each can bring impressive income. For example, 30,000 subscribers can already become a source of stable income of 20-30 thousand rubles. The possibilities are practically unlimited.
Repair and resale of used equipment
In the age of global computerization, it is difficult to do without gadgets or household appliances. But it’s no secret that newfangled gadgets or irreplaceable household assistants are expensive.
Why not give people the opportunity to buy the electronics they need at an affordable price. You can practice on your own deposits of forgotten things. Before this, you will need to bring them into marketable condition: repair them, remove the “antique” patina. If things are going well, then it’s time to think about expanding the range. You can buy cheap equipment on free classifieds websites, Aliexpress, or in city radio markets. Depending on the condition of the device, the markup can reach 150-200%. But the main condition is to do everything efficiently. The product must fully correspond to the advertisement.
Tutoring
The basis of such a business without starting capital is to turn your work or hobby first into additional income and then into your own business. For example, you speak English perfectly. You can recruit 3-4 students and study with them on weekends. The average price for an hour-long lesson is 700 rubles. Classes can be conducted in any convenient way: at home, in the library, via Skype, etc.
It’s quite possible to earn 5-6 thousand rubles in a week. But the only rule is not to spend money. Collect and invest to create a full-fledged school.
The scheme applies to any type of tutoring, from preparing children for school to introducing the theories of quantum physics. Your main activity or hobby is the source of ideas. If you know how to sew, knit, cook, are fluent in a musical instrument or the ancient craft of calligraphy, feel free to place advertisements for tutoring services on free information sites.
Why is it profitable to open a business without investment?
As practice shows, in conditions of an economic crisis it is very difficult to open, and even more so to successfully develop, a small business enterprise. Lots of risks. This is why many people strive to open a business with a minimum investment.
Why is it better to start your own business without initial capital?
- You will not take out loans from a bank. Just think about the debt hole you can get into by taking out a large loan for a business that will go bankrupt after a while.
- A business with minimal costs pays off much faster. Yes, if you have invested millions in a business, then it will generate a lot of income - but even so, the enterprise will not pay off very soon (as a rule, this is at least 2-3 years). And a business without investments can break even after the first sale of a product or service.
- You can start earning money without investment even in a small town - an excellent chance for entrepreneurs who live far from large cities. But here it is very difficult to find a “working” business idea.
The only drawback of a business without investments is that at first it will generate minimal income. But over time, you will be able to develop your enterprise by investing the funds you earn into it. With proper management, it is quite possible to occupy your niche in the entrepreneurial market.
Mastering Internet professions
The Internet is a powerful financial tool that, with the right approach, will help you open a business without start-up capital. The first step is mastering the profession.
Experienced entrepreneurs recommend paying attention to the field of advertising:
- Targetologist is a specialist in setting up targeted advertising on the Internet. The task is relatively simple: customize your ads so that they attract a specific audience. The most popular platforms Facebook, Vk. Full-time targetologists earn from 50 to 200 thousand rubles per month.
- Directologist is a specialist in optimizing advertising campaigns in Yandex.Direct. The idea is quite simple: for ads to be effective, they must be configured correctly. The profession is relatively new, so the niche is still open. The earnings are decent: running one campaign – 10 thousand rubles, setting up for one client – 15 thousand rubles (depending on the volume). Having found 5-6 clients, the specialist receives 70-80 thousand rubles per month.
Vacancies for directologist and targetologist are posted on recruitment sites, social networks and freelance resources.
Ideas for your business
You can make money in a village without starting capital if you choose the right field of activity. Business in a village from scratch is an achievable goal.
Growing potatoes using Dutch technology
You can open your own business in the village.
The advantages of this method include:
- High yield.
- Quick harvest.
- An attractive looking vegetable.
- Taste characteristics do not change during storage.
The disadvantages include:
- On a personal plot, it is difficult for a summer resident to maintain crop rotation.
- The method requires good agronomic knowledge and the ability to understand planting material, which is more within the power of a farmer than a summer resident.
- In most cases, it is difficult for a summer resident to adhere to all clearly prescribed manipulations.
Collection and sale of medicinal herbs
This business without investment is suitable for women. The list of medicinal herbs that are used to prepare medicines is extensive, but several of the most popular can be identified:
- Coltsfoot.
- Hawthorn
- Chamomile.
- Immortelle.
- A series.
- Calendula.
- Sagebrush.
The requirements for raw material procurement are important. Each plant requires observance of the period and method of collection - inflorescences, root part or leaves.
It is important to observe the storage conditions of the preparations so that the herbs do not lose their medicinal properties.
Additionally, you should familiarize yourself with the list of companies that engage in wholesale supplies of medicinal plants. It is important to initially negotiate the terms of cooperation with buyers.
Growing berries, vegetables, fruits
It is recommended to grow rare varieties. Understanding uniqueness will help you better define the market niche in which you are going to work, as well as determine the vectors for further development of the product. The main goal at the stage of getting to know the product is to interest the user. It is useless to advertise, convincing the buyer of the quality of the product; it is important to arouse interest in the product.
Therefore, it is better to start growing tomato trees Sprut F1 - a hybrid variety of raceme tomatoes bred several years ago. The height of the plant can reach 4 m or even more, and the crown area is 45 sq. m. The annual harvest of Octopus F1 is about 13,000 tomatoes, the total weight of which is 1,500 kg.
The most popular berry is currant. She is unpretentious. It is better to give preference to varieties such as Verena and Belaya Umka.
Strawberries can be grown in a greenhouse all year round or in open ground. Most often on the market you can find varieties such as Malvina and Olivia.
It is recommended to grow pepino (melon pear). The taste can be both sweet dessert and vegetable, reminiscent of pumpkin, cucumber or zucchini. The aroma is always melon, it can be bright or faint.
Growing seedlings for sale
Everything necessary to start earning money is available to everyone: watering equipment, pots, humus and sand. Large financial expenditures are not required for the development of this area.
It is important to consider the quality requirements for grown seedlings:
- sufficiency of lighting;
- compliance with temperature conditions;
- timely feeding;
- low air humidity.
Seedlings can also be grown at home; you do not have to be the owner of a greenhouse or summer cottage.
Dairy production
A profitable small business from scratch requires the following documents:
- Certificate of opening a private enterprise.
- Permission for retail trade in dairy products.
- A certificate from a veterinarian (of a required standard) for animals that produce milk, if you plan to produce the product yourself.
- A certificate that serves as a guarantee that sanitary standards will be observed in the premises for breeding cattle for the supply of raw materials for processing.
By producing sour cream, cream or cottage cheese using a separating device, you can start your own small business in the village. For this purpose, it is enough to buy 1 cow or 2 goats.
Breeding fish and crayfish
It is important to observe the following:
- Under natural conditions, crayfish live in reservoirs with a sandy-rocky bottom and clayey banks in order to be able to dig burrows.
- For normal life of crayfish, replacement of water masses must take place at least 2 times a month. Water exchange in the devices is set within 1.5-2 l/min, oxygen content - 6-8 mg/l. Dead embryos take on a bright orange color.
- In nature, strong individuals eat the weak. Therefore, it is important to provide at least 3 reservoirs or divide the existing one into sectors using a grid.
- High water quality is the most important indicator of business prosperity. It should not contain impurities, dyes, free chlorine, hydrogen sulfide and methane.
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Bait production
At least 30,000 rubles. You can earn money every month by running a business producing silicone lures.
You will need the following supplies and equipment:
- microwave;
- construction knife;
- plasticine and other plastic materials for creating molds;
- epoxy resin for treating the internal surfaces of molds;
- sinkers;
- gypsum.
At the initial stage, no more than 15,000 rubles will be spent on consumables.
Growing mushrooms
In most cases, oyster mushrooms or champignons are grown. The demand in the market is high, so this business cannot be called unprofitable. This type of farming does not require large financial investments and a lot of time to care for the crop.
Finished products must be sold as quickly as possible or specially processed for long-term storage. Fresh mushrooms can be sold to catering establishments and supermarkets. Leftover products are best canned or dried. During Lent and holidays, the cost and demand for mushrooms increases.
Production and sale of yarn
The wool for handmade yarn is sorted and cleaned of coarse hair and dirt by hand without chemicals, preserving its healing properties and high quality. The cost of such yarn is higher than factory yarn, but it is in high demand among customers.
It is better to combine the production of yarn with knitting various things from it. Then the income will be higher.
The best option is to sell the product online and rent a shelf in a “everything for sewing” store, which will cost 1,000 rubles. per month.
Breeding poultry and animals
There are a number of features when breeding chickens:
- The main advantage of raising poultry is that high capital investments are not required: it is sold at an affordable price.
- A high return on funds spent within a short period of time is required.
- High demand for products. Poultry meat has nutritional value and low cost, so many consumers can afford meat of this category.
If we are talking about cattle, then dairy breeds are characterized by high milk yield and relatively low meat indicators. Cows produce at least 3,000 liters of milk per year, and the best breeds produce more than 6,000 liters.
Greenhouse products
Growing greens in a greenhouse can be a profitable business. First of all, onions, lettuce, parsley, dill, cilantro, basil and sage. The yield with hydroponic technology can be up to 8 kg per 1 sq. m. And the price per kilogram reaches 250 rubles in the spring.
The most common and easy to grow crop is cucumbers. The yield is average - 25-35 kg per 1 sq. m.
Food stall
The first step is to assess the level of competition in the place where you plan to install a retail outlet, analyze their assortment, opening hours and prices.
For the assortment of such retail outlets, relatively inexpensive and popular goods are selected that do not need to be promoted through advertising: cigarettes, beer, bread, peanuts, vodka, chips. The number of staff is minimal - 1-2 people are enough.
For a beginning entrepreneur, the starting capital must be at least 200,000 rubles.
Selling flowers
Experts say that the average markup on flower products reaches 150%. On holidays (before March 8, September 1, school last bell), when the demand for bouquets is high, it exceeds these figures.
It is important to consider the disadvantages of this type of activity:
- The need for specialized storage conditions for plants. The room temperature should be around +10°C.
- The need for systematic planning of product purchases.
- The need to find a good trading place.
- The need for qualified employees - florists.
Basket weaving
A vine costs on average 100 rubles, and a basket will cost from 400 rubles (depending on quality). But if this does not seem enough and when you have enough experience, you can make wicker furniture from wicker, the prices and demand for which are hundreds of times higher.
Agroecotourism
Holidays with a peasant family that engages in agriculture using organic (biological) methods (on farms that have the appropriate certificates or are in the process of environmental conversion) are becoming increasingly in demand.
It is optimal if a businessman has at his disposal either a plot with houses located on it, or several houses for rent in whole or in part. In this case, the business will be the most profitable, and the investment will quickly pay off.
Camping
This could be a camp aimed, for example, at hunters and/or fishermen, and then it should be located as far as possible from civilization, in the most inaccessible places with almost virgin nature.
Another option is to organize summer camps in tourist-attractive places, for example, on the Black Sea coast.
Needlework
Working women are wondering where to start a business at home.
A good option for those who are ready to create handmade masterpieces for free. You can sell your products to a store or rent a place in a shopping center and sell the goods yourself.
It is important not to give a name that is too cumbersome, unclear and difficult to hear. In the field of handicrafts, you should also avoid English-language names, because a considerable percentage of clients are grandmothers who come for patterns or yarn. A good option is a name of one or two words.
Auto shop
The auto shop is an object of non-stationary trade, therefore it is subject to relevant legal requirements. First of all, we are talking about the availability of documents indicating state registration of entrepreneurship.
The best option would be to sell fast foods, takeaway coffee, groceries, juices and other non-alcoholic drinks.
Relatively recently, party buses appeared in the country - buses converted into an entertainment club for one company. This service will be popular among young people who are constantly looking for new formats of entertainment.
Sawmill
We are talking about a complex of premises equipped with the necessary equipment for processing wood and sawing solid tree trunks for the further production of boards, bars and other building materials from them.
A correct analysis of the direction in business is done from a general view of the woodworking market to a specific consideration of your locality.
An analysis of the economics of unprofitable companies showed that competition with market leaders is the reason that even the delivery of one’s own “round timber” from the forest leads to a loss of profit for the entire enterprise. And, on the contrary, very small sawmills with investments of up to 500 thousand rubles were in an advantageous position.
Beekeeping
The main advantage is that the beekeeping business does not require hired workers. The beekeeper is the only worker. This reduces staff wage costs. Profits from the sale of products are used to expand the business and pay taxes.
Anyone who wants to develop in this direction, starting in February, should prepare equipment: purchase or make hives, purchase a honey extractor and equipment, as well as frames and foundation.
The profitability of the apiary is high, because There is always a demand for honey and bee products. If you take a responsible approach to the development of beekeeping, you can even work with foreign partners, because Russian honey is highly valued abroad.
Earning money from affiliate programs
Affiliate programs are a way for any Internet user to start a business without starting capital. In fact, this is attracting people to various projects for a fee: subscribers on a social network, buyers in online stores, clients in a service company, etc. Participation in an affiliate program using your own resource (blog, website) is considered the most profitable. But you can start from scratch. To do this, choose an attractive program, get a link and place it on your page on a social network, thematic public pages, forums, in Yandex Direct contextual advertising or Google AdWords (requires an investment of 1,000 rubles). For every click, transition, purchase, and video viewing, the user receives money.
The cost varies from a modest 30 rubles per click to 40% of the purchase amount.
SMM – creation and promotion of your own public
Another effective way to open a business without starting capital is to create your own information public on social networks. Every like, repost or positive comment can lead to a decent level of income. How it works? A public or closed group is created where information of interest to a certain contingent is posted. This could be anything from nail art to refrigerator reviews. Then the public is promoted: active subscribers are attracted by any means. You can promote a group for free or for a fee. The first way is traditional advertising. The second is “word of mouth”: through friends, acquaintances, relatives, colleagues. Next, the classic scheme is implemented - participation in affiliate programs, placing advertisements and receiving money for each active action. Earnings begin after achieving a goal (for example, attracting 5,000 thousand subscribers).
What business to open if there is no money
If you don't have money, the easiest way is to open a service business. The range of options is huge: from repairs and cleaning to tutoring or an atelier. All this does not require large investments.
Focus primarily on what you know and can do well. It is also important to understand what is in demand in your region.
Examples of the best business ideas without investment:
- Knitting at home - a women's business without costs
- Advertising on cars - start in the advertising business without investment!
- Selling photographs - income for photographers
- Reselling things is a classic profitable business scheme
- Tutoring—earn money with your mind without spending money!
Adviсe
Every business is a reflection of the personality of the entrepreneur. The concept is so individual that it is very difficult to give advice.
But there are still a number of rules that must be followed when creating a business without starting capital:
- start your own business in the service sector - this is the easiest and fastest way to build a client base;
- start promoting your business online with your own page on a social network;
- do not spend money on office rent and expensive interiors - you will have the opportunity to make an impression and emphasize your image when the business begins to generate a stable income;
- Attract like-minded people and allies - companies that reach the same target audience, but offer a different product, can help you enter the market.
And remember, creating a business from scratch is in many ways easier than having impressive start-up capital. Desire, overcoming difficulties and all this without the risk of losing hard-earned money - emotional factors are already quite enough to convince oneself of the benefits of such an enterprise.
Difficulties of starting a business
The main problem is how to open a business without money. You will have to be creative and persistent to compensate for the lack of ability to rent space, purchase expensive equipment and hire employees.
At first you will have to work independently for everyone! To save money, place your business on your own territory - for example, at home or in a garage.
Use equipment you already have - so a business in a field you know is ideal.
It is important to understand that it is impossible to create a large company for several thousand rubles. At first, your business will be small, but in the future there will be an opportunity to develop it.
Conclusion
Becoming a businessman, especially without starting capital, is always interesting and extremely exciting. It is these people who become legends, books are written about them and they are cited as examples at economic lectures at institutes. Cast aside doubts and add your sonorous name to the Forbes lists.
Write in the comments which business ideas from scratch appeal to you more. Perhaps you still have questions? We will be happy to enter into a discussion.
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Author of the article Anna Gromova Accountant
Education
It is also another opportunity to open a business without start-up capital. A prerequisite is good knowledge in a certain field. For example, foreign languages, playing the guitar, various handicrafts, and other popular professional skills. There are a lot of opportunities to make money from teaching, including tutoring, tutoring via Skype, conducting trainings and master classes, and selling original training courses. In most cases, your only cost will be the purchase of advertising. Plus, compared to consulting, finding clients is much easier.