10 profitable small businesses you can start with $100 or less

Are you feeling the tug of entrepreneurship?

Does the idea of starting a business fill you with excitement?

You want to set your own hours, be your own boss, work from home (or maybe the beach) and have no limit to the money you are making.

Sounds like a dream.

But how do you get started if you don’t have any prior business experience? What do you do if you can’t think of any business ideas?

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I recently asked my friend, Anton Klingspor, that question.

Although only 17 years old, Klingspor is the general partner at Indicina Ventures, a startup incubator that develops the ideas of our next thought leaders, as well as Gen Z’s entrepreneurial types.

We bounced some ideas off of each other and came to the conclusion that, while no one can guarantee your success, starting a profitable business is a lot simpler than you may think (notice I didn’t say easier) and can be done for less than $100.

Want some ideas on how to get started? Then read on.

1) Online tutoring

Did you ace the SAT? Were you a math or science whiz in college?

If so, then online tutoring may be the way to go. You can start out charging $40/hour for your services and increase the price as you find more leads and have more satisfied customers.

2) Tax preparation

While this may take a tax season or two before you can officially start your own business, simply go online and search “tax preparation no previous experience” and you will likely find dozens of potential jobs that you can start completing on the side.

Once you have the hang of things, you can go out on your own and slowly but surely build up your own business.

3) Cleaning services

While it may not be a grand job, if you are really strapped for cash, or want a little extra income to fund your more expensive business idea, then starting a cleaning service is a great way to make the extra money you need.

All you need to is a vacuum, some floor cleaners, and a car and you are in business (literally).

4) Outdoor services company

We live in a day and age where most people HATE hard labor.

If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, then this presents a wonderful opportunity for you.

Buy a ladder and start cleaning gutters and windows, buy a lawn mower and start handling landscaping, or, just buy some gloves and start pulling weeds.

Your options are limitless and depending on the area you live in and the gear you have available, this is a great way to start making an extra $1k+ a month.

5) A copywriting agency

Ok, so this is another one where you will need a little bit of experience under your belt before you can really start your own business.

However, if you can master freelance copywriting, transitioning into owning your own firm is very doable.

Head to Upwork this weekend and apply for a few gigs. You may be surprised how far this skill can take you.

6) Drop shipping

Drop shipping is one of the most attractive side hustles to start and with good reason.

It doesn’t require much capital to get going and if you become an effective bargain hunter, you can easily start turning a multi-five-figure profit each month.

7) Personal training

If you have a good physique then consider getting involved in the world of personal training.

The test for your certification is relatively inexpensive, and while it is necessary to work at some of the higher end gyms, you do not need to take it to land your first few clients.

Just make sure that you actually know what you are doing before you start advising other people on how to live a healthy lifestyle.

8) Consulting

If you have considerable experience and expertise in a field, then you can start consulting today.

All you need is a website, a few social media platforms, and your first three potential clients and you will be off to the races.

It will be hard work and you will have to prove yourself to your clients before they will give you money for your advice, but if you can learn the ropes quickly, the consulting business can be a highly profitable and enjoyable world to be in.

9) Logo design

Do you have an eye for design?

Then hop on Fiverr and start applying for logo design gigs.

Once you have gained some traction with your craft, apply for a job with 99designs or start your own design firm.

10) Online lessons

If you have a talent that other people want, for example, the ability to play guitar, code websites, or give great public speeches, then you have a whole world of opportunity open for you.

Running online lessons for something you are passionate about is a great way to make some quick money and have fun while doing it.

Wrapping things up

Starting a business does not have to be complicated.

It will be hard, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. You can get something started this weekend for less than $100 that could potentially turn into your dream company.

So go ahead and give one of these ideas a whirl, you have nothing to lose and a lot to gain.

Good luck, and maybe I’ll see you on the cover of Forbes one day soon.