7 Businesses You Can Start With Almost No CashHave a craft creation to sell? Good at home repair? Resale transactions? Voila! You can become an entrepreneur-on-the-cheap.

If you're like millions of Americans, you dream ofstarting your own business. But of course, there are dozens of obstacles that may keep you from actually doing that. You might not have enough motivation, for example, or time to actually see the work through; or you might not even have a solid idea to begin with -- yet.

Related:The 10 Best New-Age Business Ideas You Haven't Heard About Yet

But where most people get stopped cold is their realization that it takesmoneyto start a business -- money they don't have.

Still, consider: There areloans, grants, and other fundraising options,就像crowdfunding, available to get you what you need; so money isnota good excuse not to start a business. And, beyond that, there are certain types of businesses you can start with almost no cash.

What it takes to start a business

Your first step is to explore what it takes to formally "start" a business, and which of those items cost money.

• Planning.You'll need to come up with abusiness plan and financial model, of course, but you can do this on your own, for free.
• Business license.If you're planning on creating a partnership, LLC or corporation, you'll need to file some paperwork -- but it probably won't cost you more than a few hundred dollars, depending on what licensing you need. TheSmall Business Administration has plenty of resourcesto help you figure out what you need, how to obtain it and how much it will cost.
• A domain name.You'll need to invest in your online brand early on; while I suggest going as professional as possible, you could also use a bare-bones approach to launch, if yours is a minimum viable product. Often, a catchy domain name is all you need to define your brand at the start, and one can be bought for as little as $10 (if you can find one that isn't taken!). I useGoDaddyto buy domains.
• A website.Website builders these days are free and intuitive to use. You won't expend anything but time to build your first site. I recommend starting simple with a widely-used website platform, likeWordpressorWix.
• Marketing.While marketing has a reputation for being very expensive, there are actually a ton of really effective tactics that can be performed with only an investment of your time. Social media marketing, SEO and content marketing all fit within this category -- and, honestly, those are really all you need.雷竞技手机版has a great selection ofhow-to booksandonline coursesthat cover this subject.
• Equipment.Equipment, offices and other tangible assets are cash killers, but not all businesses need them. Some businesses don't require any of these things, as I'll explain shortly.
• Products.Finally, all businesses need to sellsomething, which usually means some up-front investing. However, many services can be performed with an investment of time rather than money.

Types of businesses to start

So, which types of businesses can be started without a heavy financial burden in any of the above areas? Read on to find out.

Business idea: Content provider

Sites likeFiverroffer a great opportunity for writers, editors, photographers, artists and videomakers to book gigs from businesses with an assortment of content needs. The amount of money one can generate will vary greatly on a person's drive and talent.Speaking with雷竞技手机版, copywriter Alexandra Fasulo explained that she began by booking small projects for $5 a pop, and within two years, built a reputation and customer base that has her earning six figures a year.

Related:9 Ways These People Make Money at Home With Nothing But Their Laptops

Business idea: Personal creations

First off, there are personal creations, like arts and crafts. For example, if you're a painter, you could sell your works of art with an investment of nothing more than art supplies and your own time. Platforms likeEtsy,eBayandAmazoncater to creators and make it easy to turn a profit from your work.

Related:101 Businesses You Can Start With Less Than $100

Business idea: In-home services

Services don't cost you any money up-front because they're intangible goods. And if you're working in people's own homes or neighborhoods, you won't need a physical headquarters for your business. For example, you could start a babysitting service, adog-walkingor pet-sitting service or something like landscaping or snow-plowing.

Business idea: Repair or skill-based services

If you have a specific skill, you could use your skilled labor as the main revenue driver for your business. For example, if you're a handyman, you could cater to homeowners who don't know much about home repairs.

Just like in-home services, these types of gigs don't require you to have a physical establishment and don't require you to invest in anything up-front, except the tools or equipment you're going to need for the job, which will vary in cost.

Learn about opening aHandyman Connection franchise here.

Business idea: Resale

The idea behind resale is simple: You acquire products and sell them to other people. You can usedropshippingor wholesaling to acquire these goods. With dropshipping, you'll ship directly from the manufacturer (and turn a lower profit), but you'll need almost no startup cash. With wholesaling, you'll need more money and space up-front, but you'll end up with more control and more money.

Related:6 Steps to Building a Successful Online Drop Shipping Business

Business idea: Consulting

Many workers think about becoming entrepreneurs only after getting several years of professional experience under their belt. Think about the industry you're in, and how much you've been able to learn in that time. Up-and-coming professionals, or startup business owners will likely be glad to pay you for your expertise.Consulting是产品服务,成本只有时间发送e but can be highly valuable as a career opportunity.

Business idea: Micropreneurship

当然,你也可以自己拼凑miniature business through micropreneurship and shared-economy opportunities. For example, you could drive for a service likeUber, or rent your home out through AirBnB or find similar services that make use of what you've already got.

在你得到你的业务开始,开始赚钱ing revenue, your lack of startup capital will become less of a problem. You can reap the profits from your venture and reinvest them, or use them to start an even bigger business.

Related:12 Low-Cost Business Ideas for Introverts

Hopefully, you now realize that you don't need a lot of up-front money to start a business. In fact, you can start one for almost nothing. You just need to know what types of businesses work best in that model.