30 Low-Cost Business Ideas For Beginners
16 Photographer
A love of photography can be the foundation of a successful lifestyle business.
Ever been to a wedding? There was probably a photographer there snapping pictures…and getting paid for it!
But it’s not just weddings; every day, photographers are hired to shoot a variety of personal occasions and corporate events, while many others shoot portraits out of a studio. (My favorite might be the rise of the pet photography niche).
Further, modern businesses still need photographs for promotional material, for their website, for social media.
First of all, decide what niche you want to work in and what photographer you want to become:
Wedding photographer
The best way to start is to take pictures at a friend’s wedding to build your portfolio. Start an Instagram account, network with other wedding vendors like florists or wedding planners. Then submit your photos to websites and magazines that specialize in weddings to build a name.
Portrait photographer
Build a portfolio by finding people happy to model for you. Then post your portfolio on websites like Upwork or Thumbtack to find your first paid gig.
Food photographer
If you are passionate about snapping food, you can start by taking photographs of your own recipes. You can then open an Instagram account and/or your own website to showcase your mouthwatering pictures. Network with food companies and other influencers. And check out Nicha’s post to see how she transformed her hobby for food photography into a full-time career.
Destination photographer
Did you know that plenty of tourists and locals are looking for photographers to capture magical moments in their favorite locations? You can post your example pictures on websites like Localgrapher, ShootMyTravel, or Flytographer to find clients interested in using your skills in top locations near you.
Stock photographer
You can sell your photographs online through stock photo websites like Shutterstock, iStock, and BigStock. This is an unbelievable way to make a passive income with little effort and a favorite among low-investment small business ideas for photographers.
And remember, these are just some of the niches you can work in. There is no limit to what you can photograph.
Is becoming a photographer the best small business idea for you? Take the first steps with my in-depth guide to selling photos online.
Tip: The best photographs are not always taken with the best equipment; it’s the eye and ability of the photographer that matters. That said, if you are concerned about having the right equipment, consider contacting your local photography store and asking about renting some gear to get started.
17. SELL CRAFTED GOODS ON ETSY
Are you a person who likes to make things from scratch? A master crafter? The queen of the print screen?
Ok, you get the point.
Good news! There is a thriving online marketplace where you can sell pretty much any handcrafted product you can imagine.
Here is the secret: for all things handcrafted and handmade, check out Etsy!
According to The Week, it’s the place bringing “intimacy and individualism back to commerce.” Not to be rude, but with over 60 million active shoppers, that’s a lot of individuals to be intimate with.
The best part? It’s so easy to get started. Simply head to Etsy, create an account, and then click ‘Open Your Etsy Shop’ from the navigation menu.
What I’m saying is, if you have a great handmade product, you could start selling today!
Take motivation from the amazing Alicia Shaffer, who started an Etsy shop on a whim in 2011, selling bohemian-inspired fashion accessories.
By 2015, Three Bird Nest, as she called her store, was earning $1 million per year, and Business Insider was calling Alicia “Etsy’s richest seller.”
Ready to get started? Check out my guide to how to sell on Etsy and make money.
Not sure what to sell? Check out my list of the 15 best things to sell of Etsy, and then, learn how to create a brilliant product from my friend Chloe.
18. FLIPPING ITEMS
What other home business ideas with a low start-up cost can you start? I’m so glad you asked…
Who among us hasn’t imagined at one point or another being on a show like Flea Market Flippers or Storage Wars?
Ah, to be a modern-day treasure hunter.
Stop dreaming; you can do it and make money too!
Here’s how:
- Open a seller account on Amazon, eBay, or start an online store.
- Buy goods.
- Sell the goods for more than you bought them for.
It really is that simple. How do you think Walmart makes its money?
But Walmart has access to global supply chains, you may be thinking, how am I supposed to get stuff cheap enough to make a profit?
To start, become a flea market flipper – go to flea markets and thrift stores, garage and estate sales, storage locker sell-offs. Hunt for those hidden treasures, those unique items that buyers will pay premium prices for.
Check out this guide to the 30 Best Things to Sell to Make Money and the best apps on which to sell them.
Go further and one-up Walmart by prowling their special and limited-time discount offerings, buying in bulk, then reselling at full price.
That’s what Ryan Grant decided to do after quitting his accounting job to start flipping full-time and resell on Amazon. His business now employs ten people and makes millions of dollars in revenue each year.
But what if you don’t have the money to just start buying things that may or may not sell?
No worries! Watch this free Flipping Workshop – you will learn if flipping for profit is the perfect fit for you and 3 insider tips to actually make a profit!
And then learn how to turn $1 into $100 in just one week with the $1 Flip Club.
Pro Tip: try ‘fashion flipping’: buying clothes (new or used) and reselling them online.
19. PODCASTING
Alright, time to step out from behind the curtain.
Start a podcast, you may be thinking, isn’t everyone doing that? Where is there room for me?
The answer: everyone is not enough.
Over 120 million people listen to podcasts each month in the US alone. And yet, there are less than 500,000 active podcasts in the entire world.
The people are demanding more!
Better yet, the seminal Podcast Discovery Survey showed that whether new listeners have heard of you or not is the least important factor when they consider whether to listen to your podcast.
And here is the best news, you don’t need a lot of technical know-how or even a lot of money to start a podcast. In fact, many have started a podcast with little more than an iPhone and a dream.
Start by downloading one of the free apps which facilitate podcast recording.
Then, upload your finished product to Apple Play, Spotify, and Google Play for free!
It’s true! Podcasting can be among the best low investment business ideas.
Check out Shopify’s guide to starting a successful podcast for under $100.
Still not confident? There are many freelancers who can help you get your podcast off the ground on Fiverr.
Pro Tip: A microphone is one of the best investments aspiring podcasters can make. Don’t worry, there are many podcast-quality mics for $50 or less.
20. START A YOUTUBE CHANNEL
“How can a four-year-old be raking in more than the UK prime minister earns?” asked the Financial Times.
They were talking about Gaby, a child YouTube star reportedly making between $3,000 and $50,000 per day through her channel.
Yes, starting a YouTube channel is so simple a child can do it.
… ok, so I doubt Gaby is literally running her channel. Still, the point stands; YouTube is one of the best platforms to make money today.
So how do you get started?
Good news! All you need to start your YouTube channel is a Gmail account. Simply head over to YouTube and sign in, then click on your profile icon in the top right corner and choose ‘create a channel.’
From there, customize your channel with a profile picture and description, and don’t forget to include links to your website and social media accounts (although you don’t need them to get started).
You can then start producing content!
But what type of content?
Some of the most popular YouTube channel ideas today:
- Food
- Fitness
- Beauty
- Fashion
- DIY and How-To
- Personal Finance
- Travel
- Making Money Online
- Gaming
- Product Reviews
Here, you might be thinking, launching a YouTube channel sounds fun and all, but how do I actually make money from it? I’m looking for side business ideas, not a new hobby.
For the answer, check out my comprehensive breakdown of how YouTubers really make money.
Tip: Only 9% of small businesses in the US are actively using YouTube. If you are planning on starting an online store, consider launching a complimentary YouTube channel. You could provide how-tos for what you are selling or show that product in action and stand out from the crowd
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