What businesses can be started with less than around $100?
1. Low investment and inventory costs.
2. Low monthly maintenance and website fees.
Here are a few categories.
- Affiliate Programs
- Crafts
- Direct Marketing
- Referral Programs
- Retail
- Services
Affiliate Programs
Joining an affiliate programs is normally no cost, and if asked to pay a fee, be sure to do some good research before giving over you money.
What is an Affiliate Program? You share a company's link via email, website, social media page, even person to person, and receive compensation for a customer's action, it might be viewing an ad, clicking a link, or purchasing a product.
Affiliate programs require the ability to promote the affiliate links. This can be done at no cost on many social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, to name a few. To create your own website or blog, there are free beginner hosting services at places like WIX and SquareSpace. Paid hosting services are going to run around $10 a month. There is a bit of a learning curve with Affiliate Marketing, like how to insert the affiliate code, which for social media is often just copy and paste, pretty simple, but some reading should get you going.
Crafts
Crafts are often hobbies, but with some thought adjustment, crafts can be a source of income with low startup costs. Some examples. Jewelry, $5 pieces might be easy to sell, but take that piece and make it using sterling silver and semi-precious stones, and for the same work you are now an artisan and can ask better prices! Photographs or Photoshop images. Put your images on wood, canvas, t-shirts, coffee mugs and more, and now you have your own unique product. There are many places online who will print and ship your items for you. Dog collars, purses, totes, clothing, hair decorations, add some Swarovski crystals, brass fittings, semi-precious stones, now you have your own designer fashion items.
Direct Marketing
Direct Marketing, also Network Marketing, and some are MLMs, are another possible way to earn income, more so if you know a lot of people or know how to contact a lot of people. The name Network Marketing is more descriptive since this type of business is usually successful when a person knows how to network with other people, in person at events, clubs and organizations, or in online groups and forums, also being a good at advertising is very helpful.
There are DM programs that ask for a hefty upfront investment, and those should be researched carefully to be sure the company is not just interested in your money rather than earning their income from representatives' sales.
But many companies have low investment opportunities, and low monthly requirements. And often the initial investment is for inventory or advertising materials. What you need to ask about is what is required going forward.
- Are there monthly fees for a website (called a replicated website because all of the representatives' websites look the same).
- Is there a minimum monthly purchase requirement.
- Is there an annual membership fee.
- Is there an auto-ship requirement. (Some auto-ships can be turned off, or might require going into the account each month and pushing shipments continually off into the future.
Referral Programs
Joining a Referral Programs is normally no cost, and if asked to pay a fee, check it out before giving over you money. Referral programs are much like Affiliate programs, but generally compensation is only paid if a customer makes a purchase. Referral programs also require the ability to share the companies' links. This can be done at no cost on places like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and other social media sites. For websites there are free beginner hosting services at places like WIX and SquareSpace. Paid hosting services are going to run around $10 a month. Referral programs are generally pretty easy to do, usually there is just a piece of code to copy and paste.
Retail
Another low cost startup is selling retail on places like eBay, Amazon, and Etsy. The cost of selling on eBay is around 15% of the selling price, (this 15% includes PayPal fees), plus add in your expenses such as inventory and shipping and materials. Amazon has a fee for FBA (Fulfillment By Amazon) of around $40 month, but ship your own items and it is a small amount, like $1 per item, plus credit card merchant fees, and the standard inventory and shipping expenses.
Services
There are many services that can be done while traveling, some may require a license or permit, others may not. Here are some thoughts to get you started. Hair Stylist, Nails and Pedicures (especially for the seniors who can't reach their toes), Insurance Agent, Massage Therapist, RV Washing, RV Repairs and Replacements (just consider regular maintenance, RVs seem to always need washing and they need to be re-caulked every few years), Dog Setting, Walking and Grooming, Physical Therapy, and DIY Training (essential oils, cooking, crafts, exercise, and martial arts).