When you think about starting a business, the first thing that comes to mind is the high initial investment. After all, you need to spend money to make money, right?

Luckily, due to the online world, this saying is no longer true. Nowadays, you can start incredibly successful one-person businesses with less than $100. In most cases, all you need is a device (a laptop, PC, or smartphone) and a stable internet connection. Whether you're learning how to start a cleaning business, become an online tutor, or use other experiences to create a side hustle, if you’re interested in becoming an entrepreneur and don’t have the money to invest big, here are a few ideas to try:

1. Use Your Creativity for Content Creation

With a value of $25.6 billion in 2022, content creation is one of the fastest-growing markets. If you have the skills for crafting engaging stories or creating visually appealing graphics, this is the right field for your business.

Moreover, content creation is a wide field that encompasses writing, graphic design, video production, and much more. You can focus on one of these fields (like blogging or video production), or you can combine them and create your own multi-faceted online personal brand.

Starting as a content creator doesn't require a big investment since you can find many free online tools to help manage, edit, and process content. For instance, tools like Canva provide lots of free features for designing engaging social media posts or infographics.

Additionally, to keep your initial costs low, use your personal devices (laptop, PC, smartphone, and so on). This way, you can test your skills as a content creator without losing your initial investment.

2. Share Your Knowledge Through Online Tutoring

With the rise of remote learning, the online tutoring services market has been on an ascending trend for a few years now. According to recent projections, the market should reach $23.73 billion by 2030, which is huge!

The business doesn’t require much except for your time, expertise, and a stable internet connection, so the initial investment is minimal.

Start by identifying your area of expertise – it could be any subject like mathematics, a foreign language, coding, or even an instrument you excel at playing. For example, if math has always been your strong suit, you could be a great online math tutor.

Once you've identified what you can offer tutoring services for, it's time to market yourself. The good news is that you can find a wide range of free resources that teach you how to market your business at a low cost. 

One idea is to create profiles on online tutoring platforms like Chegg Tutors or Tutor.com, where students are actively seeking help in various subjects. These platforms take care of most marketing aspects, saving the hustle for newer tutors!

3. Follow Your Passion and Become a Disney Travel Agent

If you’re a travel agent who loves Disney, you may have the right skills to become a seller of Disney travel packages. However, you can’t just decide to start selling Disney travel packages and start doing it. 

There are a few steps to follow, and the first one is to join an authorized travel agency that Disney recognizes. You’ll need to undergo several training sessions, and once you get your agency’s approval, you can start spreading joy to anyone interested.

Overall, the initial investment is not big when it comes to the equipment you need (a computer full-time, a phone, and a stable internet connection). But this is not something anyone can do at the drop of a pin.

4. Leverage Your Social Media Experience

According to a Search Engine Journal research, 44% of internet users go to social media to research brands they don’t know. So, you can see why companies all over the world have increased their investment in social media content creation and management.

As someone who is well-versed in social media platforms and who knows what brings engagement and creates audiences, you have a golden opportunity to create a booming business with as little investment as possible.

But, to convince big companies to pay for your social media management skills, you need a strong portfolio. This is no time to be shy – show off the successful campaigns you've designed or the impressive follower growth rates you've achieved!

5. Be an Online Fitness Trainer

If you are already a certified fitness trainer, consider taking the steps toward becoming an online trainer. By simply putting your services online and creating content that’s attractive and inspiring, you can increase the number of customers and gain lots of high-quality leads.

If you are not certified yet, it’s best to acquire the necessary certifications. This is necessary to make sure you have the right skills for the job and also to gain your customers’ trust. There are plenty of low-cost fitness-related programs you can follow online, so it doesn’t take much to get you started.

It also helps to be passionate and curious about fitness. This will help you connect with your customers and audience and add value to your services.

You may have to invest in good-quality video equipment to create clear instructional videos. This way, you can make sure your streamed sessions go without glitches. No one wants to stop in the middle of a HIIT session because the instructor’s camera is frozen.

6. Be a Photographer/Videographer

Nowadays, all it takes is a good camera, an open mind, and the desire to try out new things to start your photography career. Plus, there are so many niches that it would be difficult not to find something you enjoy!

So start by identifying what type of photography or videography you're passionate about – be it weddings, travel, fashion, nature, portraits, or another niche. You can also create stock images and videos and sell your creations to site owners and content creators.

You may have to invest a little over $100 if you don’t have a good camera and lenses. You can start with used equipment to keep the costs down. You’ll also need to create a website or social media page to promote your work and describe your services.

Luckily, you can find lots of free editing tools like Adobe Lightroom or iMovie to enhance your photo/video quality and make them stand out from the crowd.

Wrap Up

Whether you decide to try content creation or want to leverage your current experience online, there are plenty of business endeavors to try. You just need to have the right skills and be consistent with your business efforts.