How to Start an Online Business with No Start-Up Costs
The common saying "It takes money to make
money" doesn't always apply. There are several ways to start a business
with little to no start-up costs. Online e-commerce stores, freelance careers,
and other online businesses can all be started for very little money down if
you have access to the right resources. Free website editors and free hosting
services contribute to the wealth of tools that online business owners can take
advantage of to get a jump start.
Instructions
1. Decide what kind of online business you want
to start. Online businesses that require little to no money upfront are service
businesses. Writing services, virtual secretary businesses, and web design
businesses are all low-cost options. An e-commerce store using drop shipping
services also requires very little money to start.
2. Set up a website to showcase your products
and services. Free methods can be used to create an online business website;
BlueVoda, Doodlekit, and WordPress are examples of free hosting website
solutions that also include integrated web design features. Low-cost websites
can be purchased for as low as $5 to $10 using affordable business services
like Intuit Small Business. Alternatively, registering a domain name and buying
a dedicated hosting account costs as little as $10 to $15 a month; GoDaddy and
HostGator are popular domain registrar and hosting services. Free shopping cart
software like Zen Cart and osCommerce can be used if you are creating an
e-commerce store with product inventory.
3.Create a custom design and look for your
online business website by downloading and using free web page
what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) editors if in-house tools are not
included in your hosting package. A few examples of free HTML and WYSIWYG
editors include CoffeeCup Free HTML Editor, SeaMonkey, and Komodo Edit. Be sure
to preview the web page design in Internet browsers before uploading the files
to your web hosting service to ensure that it's compatible with multiple
browsers.
4. Advertise your online business in free spaces both on the Internet and
offline. Post your service or product offerings on classified ad sites like
Craigslist. Submit your online business to free business directory listings
like the Google Local Business Center or SuperPages directory. Post flyers of
your online business around your local city or town on community bulletin
boards. Tell all your friends and family of your online business so that
word-of-mouth advertising gets started.
5. Form a limited liability company (LLC) or corporation to protect
yourself in the event of lawsuits and other legal troubles. This can be done
after your online business has turned a profit so that you don't have to use
out-of-pocket money for this expense.
By Matthew Schieltz, eHow Contributor
Comments
Post a Comment