Can you really start a business with no money?

Yes, if you sell a skill you already have with tools you already own. Many service businesses start that way and buy equipment from their first profits.

What business can I start with no money?

Service businesses that sell your time and skill: cleaning, lawn care, pet care, tutoring, handyman work, bookkeeping, and many trades.

What is free when starting a business?

An EIN from the IRS, a Google Business Profile and social pages are free. Many banks offer no-fee business checking, and running as a sole proprietor often needs no state filing.

What should I spend money on first?

Anything legally required, then insurance if your work carries risk, then a domain, business email, cards and signs, then your logo and website.

Starting a business

How to start a business with little or no money

By the Storyhand Studio team

You don't need a loan or a big savings account to start a business. Plenty of good businesses started with a skill, a phone and the first paying customer. The trick is knowing what's free, what can wait and what's worth paying for first.

Start with a skill you already have

The cheapest businesses to start sell your time and skill, not inventory. Cleaning, lawn care, pet care, tutoring, handyman work, bookkeeping, hair, training, photography, and many trades need little more than tools you may already own. If you've done the work for an employer or for friends, you already have the hardest part.

Get paid before you spend

Take your first jobs with the tools you have.
Ask for a deposit on bigger jobs, so the customer's money buys the materials.
Buy equipment only when paying work needs it, and use profit from the last job to pay for the next tool.
Rent or borrow expensive equipment until you're sure you'll use it.

What you can set up for free

An EIN (tax ID) from the IRS is free.
A Google Business Profile is free and is often how local customers find you first.
Social pages are free.
Many banks offer business checking with no monthly fee if you meet their terms.
Running as a sole proprietor often takes no state filing at all, though you may need a local license or a name filing (DBA). Check your state.

What's worth paying for first

When the first money comes in, spend it in this order:

Anything legally required, like a license or permit for your trade.
Insurance, if your work can damage property or hurt someone.
A domain and business email, a small yearly cost that makes you look real.
Business cards and a sign on your vehicle or door.
A logo and website that make you look established.

Free ways to get customers

Your first customers come from people, not ads. Tell everyone you know, ask for referrals, team up with businesses that serve the same customers, post your work and ask every customer for a review. See how to get your first customers for a step-by-step plan.

Watch out for these

"Business in a box" offers that charge you to join before you've made a sale.
Buying inventory before you know it sells.
Quitting your job too early. Many owners build on nights and weekends until the business covers their bills.
Mixing money. Keep business money in its own account from day one, even if it's small.

When to invest

Once customers are coming and you're turning work away, it's time to spend on what helps you grow: better equipment, a real brand and website, and a marketing plan. That's when a done-for-you package makes sense, because your time is worth more on paying jobs.