Udemezue John
Introduction.
Before the advent of the internet, businesses both within the local and international contexts require a lot of energy and resources to get across to the audience, which most times might not be the target audience.
One of the more significant effects that the Internet has on global markets for small businesses is the ability for small businesses to reach an international audience for a low cost using tech tools such as Social media websites and search engines.
A website can become a marketing resource for a business that can be accessed by anyone in the world. Social networking websites allow companies to interact with millions of potential clients worldwide at no cost.
Every day, more people want to know how they can make money online for free. They want to break out of their boring, exhausting, or otherwise unideal jobs and become their boss from the comfort of their own homes.
And they want to do it without spending the precious resources they have now. The truth is that most people have tried it, but they continue to hit rocks, In this guide, I will be listing out various ways in which you can start an online business without investment.
Why should I Start an Online Business?
Today, the internet has paved the way for the introduction of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to connect people and businesses, regardless of country, region, and continent which have converted the internet into a potential business platform reaching prospecting audiences.
This has also introduced various kinds of business ideas that can be started without investment, here are some reasons why you should consider starting an online business.
1. Starting an Online Business Is Easy.
starting an online business requires minimum effort – which means everyone can do it. Anyone with prior knowledge of the internet can start an online business by acquiring a domain name and web hosting plan which costs less than $30 for the most part.
2. Starting an online business is cheaper.
Compared to conventional, offline businesses, there aren’t many expenses to start online. By getting the website and its content ready, you’ve covered half of the essential cost.
With a low starting cost, it can be easy to get overboard. To overcome this, budget planning is critical to keep everything inexpensive.
3. You can build a reliable income via the internet.
Once your online business is established, your online business becomes a reliable income source. In the long term, it also provides a learning curve for future growth.
Start by settling on sustainable income and monitoring the business profit. Most importantly, understand that earning from a business doesn’t happen instantly and that it takes time.
4. Running an Online Business Provides Time Flexibility.
Running your own online business allows you to set schedules and day-to-day work according to your preferences. It also builds your sense of entrepreneurship.
With time flexibility, it gets easier to lose track of time and how much information you obtain.
5. Running an Online Business Enables You to Work From Anywhere.
Without the time obligation, running your own business also allows remote work. This also builds your entrepreneurial, business management, and financial skills. In addition, it saves your energy and well-being.
6. Starting an Online Business allows You to Reach Audiences Globally.
Through online business, you can reach your audience everywhere and at any time without borders.
Depending on the product, you can target more locations and increase customer leads. To do this effectively, determine your resources and capabilities.
There are many ways to launch and grow a successful startup business without spending a penny; after all, the creator’s economy is starting to emerge.
How Do I Make Money Online Without Investments?
The internet provides multiple channels for businesses to communicate both internally and externally.
Whether it’s setting up virtual workspaces where employees can interact and develop ideas, or connecting to international businesses through the use of video conferencing.
Technology can be used as a medium to collect feedback from customers, which can be used to improve or alter a product to suit the needs of the customers better.
Do you want to learn how to make money online without investment? I have written a comprehensive guide in this section to help you learn more.
1. Blogging.
Over the last decade, blogging has matured from having more personal into a business.
Starting a blog requires your knowledge to be put to use; the only time you get to spend little or no money is when you need to purchase a web host and a domain.
While so many people opt-in for paid web hosting and domain, you can start blogging for free on some available hosted services such as Google Blogger, Wix and WordPress.
While this can be dangerous, many people have started their blog on a free blog platform, scaled it up, monetized it, and moved to a paid platform. While it might work for them, I do not recommend it for serious bloggers who want to build a profit-generating blog.
You can get a domain and a web host for less than $15 on Namecheap.
Starting a blog is no child’s business; you ought to have a reliable chunk of knowledge to scale through to monetization.
I wrote a comprehensive guide on how to get started with blogging; check out the link below to get started.
2. Start a YouTube Channel.
YouTube is one of the most popular websites on the Internet, with a more massive audience than television throughout history.
It started with very humble beginnings in the mid-2000s and was used to share videos. Still, it has grown to become the primary source of information over the years, globally hosting the most significant amount of videos than any media platform.
One of the benefits of starting a YouTube channel is that you get to connect with your audience, share experiences, and monetize what you do, which brings in a reasonable amount of money.
YouTubes give the ability to watch videos again and rewind the tape up to the point where your audience understands the message. You also get to build confidence in yourself and your audience up to the point where you start generating sales opportunities.
Starting a YouTube channel corrects costs you no dime, all you need is creativity and a well-known niche to get started.
I wrote a comprehensive guide on how to get you started as a YouTuber; follow the link below to get started.
3. Become a Twitter Influencer.
A Twitter Influencer is a social media influencer who has built a considerable following and engagement on Twitter.
I decided to restrict this to Twitter because various social media platforms work differently, and not everyone will do well on all platforms.
The type of platform you decide to work with depends on what content you post.
To become a noted Influencer on Twitter, your content must be tailored to a specific niche.
In addition, your post must be impactful enough to be further retweeted by their followers and their followers, too, until your tweet goes viral.
I wrote a comprehensive guide on how to get started with Twitter as a business; click the link below to get started.
4. Become a LinkedIn Influencer.
Just as I defined who a Twitter influencer is in the previous section, a LinkedIn influencer does the same thing as any other social media influencer; the only difference is that a helpful audience has been built on LinkedIn.
Everyone has a different perception of LinkedIn as a social network; most people think it’s all about professionals; yes, things have changed and are still evolving.
Over the years, LinkedIn and continued to evolve so that it now accommodates creatives on its platform.
One reason I recommend people use LinkedIn is that its algorithm does not pose so much blockage as seen on other social media platforms.
It’s easier to build an organized, targeted, and amplified audience on LinkedIn than on any other platform.
However, if you are a professional seeking enough recognition to get hired, LinkedIn is a platform that allows you to kill two birds with one shot.
I wrote a comprehensive guide on getting started on LinkedIn; click the link to the article below to get started.
5. Become an Instagram Influencer.
An Instagram influencer has built a vast and engaging following on Instagram by posting valuable content for all to see.
Instagram became mainstream media after Facebook purchased it at the start of the decade; since then, it has hosted over 2 Billion people on its platform, with more still being added every minute.
Everyone has an Instagram account; it has become the default platform to host photos just after beating Pinterest.
To gain a massive following on Instagram, you have to share engaging contents that tailor to the need of your audience in such a way that it attracts enough likes and shares. That way, it gets recommended by the algorithm to more people on the platform.
Over the years, Instagram has continued to adjust its algorithm which is becoming too hard to get visible; one way to get past this is to combine your content with photos and videos, sharing inspirational messages.
I wrote a comprehensive guide on getting started on Instagram as an influencer and a business; click the link below.
6. Affiliate Marketing.
Affiliate marketing is one business that can give you financial independence; you don’t need startup capital to start an affiliate marketing business.
All you will ever need is an audience, a smartphone, Laptop, and an internet connection; most people already have this.
Affiliate marketing helps you build a relationship with both known and unknown audiences.
To get started with affiliate marketing, you need to find the right affiliate programs, set up a webpage, and figure out how to get traffic and sell that service.
I always say to my audience, “everyone is a salesman, but most don’t know about this reality”.
I wrote a comprehensive guide on how to get started with affiliate marketing; I also recommend you read it.
7. Start Freelancing.
Freelancers are individuals hired by other companies or individuals who work to use their skills on a short-term basis. Still, they do not have the same level of commitment or receive equal pay to any particular company, though they also get paid.
Freelancing gives you freedom from working under conditions that do not suit you.
It provides a lot of flexibility and control to the individual. You get to choose your hours, who you work with and what kind of work you intend.
Freelancing can also be called entrepreneurship, which means freelancer has total control of their earning potential.
They are not locked to a salary and have the power to earn as much as they possibly can.
However, you do not need startup capital to kickstart a career as a freelance; all you need is well-sharpened skills in a well-targeted industry.
I wrote a comprehensive guide on getting started as a freelancer without any hassle.
8. Become a Web Designer.
To become a successful web designer, you need to become familiar with the best tools to build websites.
If you have a basic understanding of the most common tools used today, you have a higher chance of succeeding as a professional web designer.
However, the web design world is broad, and not all these tools may be necessary. Still, they’re worth learning a bit about to have a more well-rounded design education.
Anyone can become a web designer at no cost; all that is required is your commitment to perfection.
There are resources on YouTube to help build you to perfection; all you need do is add the “Beginners” keyword when searching for videos to use as a starter.
Technologies like HTML, CSS and Javascript play a key role in making you a complete web designer.
You also get to become independent and work as a freelancer when you acquire the necessary skills needed as a web designer.
I wrote a comprehensive guide on how to get you started in the web design industry; click the link below to get started.
9. Learn how to do search engine optimization.
SEO is a skill that every web entrepreneur needs to have under their respective tool belt to complete their online marketing skillset.h
Learning SEO will enable you to understand how and where you appear online.
The more you control your online presence, the more direct impact it will have on your business.]
To master SEO, you need to understand how search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing work; you can build better web pages that can be fully optimized and rank well.
Good SEO will get you more traffic and sales. SEO works majorly with all business models, including affiliate marketing, influence marketing and many others leading to more leads and sales.
Blogging is one way to utilize search engine optimization fully. SEO is free to learn; there are tons of online resources available to help with mastering the art of search engine optimization.
You should also follow the link below to check out the article on this blog on SEO.
- (The Beginners Guide To SEO) Learn How To Do SEO The Right Way
- How To Optimize Your Website For On-Page SEO
10. Become a Digital Marketing Expert.
A Digital Marketer uses various tools to reach customers, build brand awareness, and promote products and services; these tools include Social Media, Search engine optimization, blogging, paid advertising and email marketing.
Digital marketing is one skill I recommend every online business owner learn if they want to build a 21st-century business.
The Internet has become a massive marketplace for the world; selling on the Internet has become a significant priority for every global business. This has created a new industry for Digital Marketers globally.
You can learn digital marketing for free and begin a career as a freelancer; all it takes is trial and error until a certain level of perfection is attained.
I wrote a comprehensive article on how to get started in digital marketing as a career opportunity; click the link below to get started.
11. Build Your Career In Web Development.
Web development has to do with the logical and unseen parts of the web like databases, coding scripts, terminals, HTML, CSS and Javascript if you want to be a full-stack web developer.
Web development is an industry that won’t die out anytime soon. On the contrary, it will be around for a more extended period because it is a primary pilot of the next-generation economy.
If you can develop this skill, you won’t have difficulty getting a job or growing a self-sustaining business.
The good news is that becoming a web developer is way easier than it was in the past; you can get started on YouTube or, better still, subscribe to a free website online.
12. Become a WordPress Developer.
A WordPress developer is a professional that specializes in the development and ecosystem of the WordPress platform. The primary focus of a WordPress web designer is to build websites and plugins with WordPress
WordPress is the most popular website design tool on the Internet, currently hosting more than 70% of the websites online.
Becoming a WordPress developer is easy, and it requires little to no technical skills involved, though you need to have a creative and technical background or understanding of the matter.
Anyone can learn WordPress for free, and you will get better at it with constant practice. Most clients who need a business website usually Opt-in for WordPress because it is quick and readily available.
13. Learn Graphics Design.
Graphic Designers are pictorial storytellers. They communicate information and engage audiences through images, words, and graphics.
Graphic Designers use design elements, such as shapes, colours, lines, and textures, to produce captivating illustrations. Graphic design is an integral part of a brand or company’s marketing and advertising efforts.
Graphics designers are some of the most sought-after professionals on the Internet. Various businesses need graphics designers to help pass their messages visually appealingly.
Becoming a graphics designer only requires that you have the right software and be able to pay attention to details.
14. Learn Video Editing.
Video editing is an artistic and technical skill that requires adding special effects, structuring and more to videos.
It is also called the art of telling stories with the use of Videos. The video industry is booming, with more people demanding professional help to create quality video content in the advertising industry and many others.
Video editing might be time-consuming but remains liable for profit generation. Videos are highly monetizable; you can make money as a video editor on YouTube, Instagram and many more platforms.
Follow the link below to learn how to get started on YouTube as a creator or video editor.
15. Start your Podcast.
Do you want to inspire people with your voice? Then, you can start your podcasts for free and reach out to millions of listeners worldwide.
Like blogs and social media, podcasts are becoming the norm for how people share their thoughts with the world, with the episodic audio series continuing to gain traction with listeners seeking both entertainment value and educational dialogue.
One good thing about starting your podcast is that you get to feature on any platform such as Spotify, Google Podcasts and many more, which increases your reach. As a result, a podcast can be grown to a vast listening audience and be monetized at no cost to you.
All that is required to start your podcast is an interest in an inspiring topic that an audience would love to listen to, a smartphone, Laptop, Mic and ready-made cloud-hosting podcast platforms such as Podbean and many others.
I wrote a comprehensive guide on this blog on becoming a profitable podcaster; click the link below to get started.
16. Mine Cryptocurrencies.
Cryptocurrency Mining is when cryptocurrency transactions are verified, added to the public digital ledger, and rewards are given back to the miners in the form of cryptocurrencies.
One thing I like about the world of cryptocurrencies is the fact that sometimes it takes no money even to make money.
Anyone can become a cryptocurrency miner for free; their reward for solving these equations is a small share of the cryptocurrency linked with the blockchain they’re a part of. So all you need to get started with cryptocurrencies is a computer and an active internet connection.
I wrote a comprehensive guide to get you started with cryptocurrencies.
- Beginners Guide To Understanding and Investing In Cryptocurrencies
- How To Start Mining Cryptocurrencies and Make Money
17. Understand NFTs and start creating one.
NFT is a great way to start making a profit within cryptocurrencies without investing so much of your liquid cash.
A non-fungible token is a unique and non-interchangeable unit of data stored on a digital ledger called the blockchain. Unlike other fungible tokens like Eth and many others, NFTs cannot be interchanged.
NFTs are usually associated with reproducible digital files such as photos, videos, and audio making them tradeable on the digital ledger.
Over the past few years, NFT has seen the rise of new cryptocurrency millionaires more than the art industry itself. The NFT industry works with creativity, hence the massive inflow of artistic people.
I wrote a comprehensive guide on how to get started with NFTs as a beginner; click the link below to get started.
- (Non-Fungible Tokens) What are NFTs, and How Can You Make Money With It
- 10+ Crucial Things You Need To Know About NFT
18. Copywriting.
Copywriting is the art of convincing prospective customers to buy your product or services using print media such as Emails, single-page websites, social media, and many others.
As a copywriter, you need excellent spelling and grammar skills to deliver excellence in your work.
If you deliver work that contains mistakes and errors to your clients, they are unlikely to return for more. Freelance copywriters also need a good grasp of time.
Establishing yourself as a freelance copywriter takes time, with dozens of portfolios to show.
Over time, you will start to build a writing portfolio; the more work you get, the more your reputation will grow, leading to profitability.
Anyone can become a freelancer; it takes no money to do so; you can learn right from the comfort of your home.
19. Become a Ui/UX designer.
Web development is now mainstream, with dozens of new projects launching yearly.
It has become evident that these web projects need someone to design how they are supposed to look before being released to the end user.
To become a UX Designer, you will need to learn and develop several technical skills crucial to the role.
You will also need to have a solid foundation of soft skills, including web design and a bit of graphic design because shapes, lines and colours are significantly used in UI/UIX design.
You can learn how to design friendly UI/UX for free without YouTube and with many online resources.
20. Offer Online consultations.
Starting an online consultation business is becoming attractive. It’s quick and requires little resources, so many people do it as a side hustle or a full-time job.
Many people need help in one area or the other in their lives and constantly seek out experts to help them do so. These areas include; dating, health, real estate, marketing, legal and many others.
You don’t need an office space to start consulting; once you can prove that you know your guns so well, you can get yourself out there using various digital media such as social media, Youtube, Blogging, and clients will come looking for you.
Building a clientele will not happen overnight but will start to come alive as soon as your audience sees value in your content.
Most people even grow an audience and become social media influencers.
21. Develop Mobile apps.
In 2021, we started seeing a massive shift from huge desktop devices to tiny devices known as smartphones.
The mobile application industry is vast and is only expected to grow in the coming years. Research suggests that the total value of the mobile app industry will increase to $188.9 billion in 2021.
There are over 10 Billion mobiles app being hosted now on app stores such as IOS and Android globally, with more being added to the list.
The first step towards becoming a mobile app developer is to understand the market share of each operating system; you will find plenty, such as Android, iOS and Windows now.
It would help if you considered which one you want to specialize in, or better still, learn how to code both; libraries like React Native, Xamarin or Flutter allow your code for both android and IOS in one codebase.
Mobile apps built this way are known as cross-platform apps, meaning that they can work across various mobile operating systems.
Becoming a mobile app developer is not difficult; you can learn it for free on YouTube or, better still, pay for a course on Udemy.
There are various ways to make money as a mobile app developer; of course, you can offer it as a freelance skill or build something that the majority would love to use.
22. Create and sell E-Book.
The Internet has revolutionised the printing press into softcopies that can only be read by people with smart devices such as computers and smartphones; this led to the birth of what we now call eBooks.
Everyone has areas of knowledge that can help you create eBooks. In addition, there are people out there who adore your expertise and want to learn more.
One way to reach out to them is by putting out your knowledge in an eBook that can be distributed.
To begin with, you need to create your eBook on a topic that would help your target audience. That way, you have a ready-market waiting before you start to form. This is where research is paramount.
It would also help to keep in mind that prospective buyers will judge your eBook by its cover. So make sure to create an eye-captivating book cover that suggests professionalism and gives customers a sense that work has gone into the product.
To the very last, correctly formatting your digital product is vital for selling eBooks online. For Amazon Kindle, the file format is MOBI. For other readers, the universal eBook format is ePub.
Finally, you have crafted that amazing eBook, and it’s time to tell the world about your new eBook. You have to have a mind-grabbing marketing strategy to attract buyers from all over the world.
I wrote a comprehensive guide on creating your eBook and making money; click the link below to get started.
23. Create and sell your course.
We live in a knowledge-driven economy worldwide; tertiary education is no longer enough to drive the growth of the global economy anymore.
To become a global attraction, you need to learn and unlearn as quickly as possible, which is only possible with e-learning.
E-learning has aided skills transfer in most third-world countries with weak educational infrastructure.
To boost your morale as to how viable this market is, do you know that The e-learning market is expected to be worth $325 billion by 2025 and Digital education had more than $46 billion in sales in 2018?
I wrote a comprehensive guide on how to get started with creating your online course; click the link below to get started.
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