How to start an online business with exactly $0.00
Can you Macgyver the internet?
As a new entrepreneur there will come a time when you have to get creative with how you spend your coins.
If you’re anything like me you spend hours reading countless sales pages lauding shiny, new tools that are guaranteed to make you money. And then you slam your head on your desk. Repeatedly. Because now you have a choice to make: buy the shiny new tool that will “grow your biz and make 6-figures!” or buy groceries.
What if I told you that you could start your business today without spending a dime?
Would you do it?
If you’re reading this and are waiting to start your business because startup costs are too high, you might be one of 70%. Seventy percent of you still wouldn’t start your business if I made $100,000 rain down on you right now.
This post isn’t for you.
I’m writing to the 30% of you who are willing to do (just about) anything to see their ideas come to life. The 30% who have dreamt of sharing their gift with the world, but can’t see a way to get started. The 30% of you who would take the leap if only there was a little wiggle room in their budget.
This is for you.
Because I want to see you succeed. I want to see you create a life that you love. So I’ve compiled a list of free not-as-shiny tools that will help you start your online business. Please don’t let money get in the way.
A note about standards/expectations
Let’s be really real for a second here: you can either be broke or you can be picky. You can’t be both. When you’re strapped for cash, you need to adopt a mindset that accepts not having the best looking/sounding/acting business out there. The choices I’ve listed here aren’t the best options, but they work.
Broke or picky. Them’s the choices.
We’ll Start with Your Most Crucial Needs
You only actually need 3 things (besides the Internet) to start a business.
- An email address
- An email marketing tool
- A platform
Here’s how to get them for free…
Email:
Use Gmail. The end.
Platform/Website:
Try Wordpress, Wix, or Weebly. You won’t need to buy a domain yet and I believe those platforms can host your site for you. I don’t really know how the internet works, so I can’t say that with 100% certainty. Just being real.
But can we talk about the genius that is Medium? Some brilliant people put their heads together and created this platform where you can write your heart out and share it with the world. There are already a gabillion readers on Medium. Write to them.
Email Marketing:
You can use Gmail to store email addresses and send out mass emails.
Or you can try limited versions of MailChimp (up to 2,000 subscribers), MailerLite (up to 1,000 subscribers), and/or EliteEmail (up to 500 subscribers).
Internet:
Oh, you thought you had to pay Comcast? Lol.
Go to your local library and soak up that free Wi-Fi (bonus: they have free computers you can use). You can also get internet access at your local community centers.
The Extras
These are things that aren’t necessary to get started, but they might be nice to have.
Online Courses:
Use Teachable’s free plan — it comes with a beautiful classrooms, easy-to-build sales pages, unlimited hosting, unlimited bandwidth, and more… for free! Just know that, unless you’re giving out a free course, Teachable will take a cut out of each transaction. Side note: you can have a blog on teachable. And send emails. And host forums.
The love I have for this company is so real.
Webcam:
Your smartphone has a pretty impressive camera. Run a quick search for free webcam apps and see what comes up. If you have an iPhone check out EpocCam’s free webcam app. It wirelessly connects your phone’s camera to your computer. Dope.
Microphone:
Your computer’s internal mic isn’t the best, but you can use it to start. I’m trying out the free Megaphone app on my phone and it’s working well, but I had to buy a 3.5mm male to male audio cable for $3 to use the app. So… not totally free.
Business Phone Line:
Set up Google Voice (GV) and get a new phone number and make calls to anywhere in the US for free! It’s also pretty easy to connect your GV number to your cell phone. Side note: you can also make and record video calls with Google.
So what are you waiting for?
Go. Just start!
Don’t see something on the list? Ask about them in the comments!
PS: I’m running an experiment
If you’re at all interested in connecting with each other as we figure out this online business thing, let me know here. I’m a tech-challenged, no-social-media-skills-having nerd, who’s figured out a thing or two and would love to help and learn from you.
The idea is to send you weekly notes my lessons learned and questions answered. You’d also tell me about your trials and tribulations and/or ask me your questions. Maybe, eventually, we’ll start a small community where we can all bounce ideas off each other.
If you’re ready to join forces with an undemanding group of entrepreneurs who are also just getting started and are ready to fail up, click here and sign up.
If you enjoyed any part of this post, please recommend it ❤ and share it with your friends, thanks!!
