So are you planning to start a business but have changed your mind because of a lack of investments? Do you feel you won’t succeed because of a lack of funds? But do you really need a lot of money to start a business? Think again. You can’t set up a manufacturing plant or a robotic lab without some investment because they are capital-intensive businesses but there are lots of opportunities awaiting you and that does not require lots of capital and investment.
I am going to give you a good overview of some of the businesses that can be started with bare minimum capital and here they are;
Start internet based business
I know a guy here in Kolkata who has setup a car rental business in Kolkata without any investment. What he does is pretty simple and you won’t believe a business can be started in this way. He wanted to start a car rental company one day. But there is some initial investment to set up an office. To overcome this barrier, he posts ads on online classified websites to generate bookings.
That’s a pretty small way to start, but you can accumulate money and go full swing when you have saved some money to start working on your actual bug business. And learn the trick of the trade along the way. The best way to learn to do business is by doing business.
Local service business
One of the best benefits of starting a service-oriented business is that you don’t need to make huge investments upfront. But since service-oriented business does not require lots of initial investment, you are bound to get plenty of competition in this category. But then, which business does not have competition? At the end of the day, it’s all about providing the best quality service, support and of course competitive pricing.
The service-oriented business category is my favourite, especially if you can deliver your services online like website designing, search engine marketing etc.
Let’s take a look at some of the easy-to-start service-oriented business ideas that can be started and grown with minimum investment.
House painting business
Painting business (interior and exterior house painting) can be started without investing a lot of money. All you need is a few expert technicians and you can be up and running. You can start taking small interior painting projects in your neighbourhoods and then grow your client base organically. Just be sure to offer competitive prices and awesome customer service experience and you will be on your way.
The easiest way to get started could be to enrol yourself with a big paint manufacturer; they can train your team and also provide customer referrals. So all you have to do is survey the customer’s property, submit your best price quotations (of course as per the rules and pricing policies of the company like Berger paints or Asian paints) and then get the order. The only limitation is that you have to use paints manufactured by these paint manufacturing companies.
Packers and Movers business
Relocation is unavoidable and thousands of people are relocating every day in every city, therefore, they need professional moving companies that can help them relocate safely. In order to start a packing and moving business, you have to learn the trade, so maybe you can work in a moving company for a few months and understand the secrets like how they survey, prepare estimates, best packing techniques, about packing materials and so on.
Once you have the required experience and learned the trade, you can start your own moving company. Rent out a small office, set up a team that will do the packing, loading, and unloading and you are up and running.
Also, check this video to learn how and from where you can get customers to keep your business growing.
Start a consulting business
Consulting is one such business where you don’t need lots of investment to begin with. You can set up your own profile on Facebook, Linked In and other social networks and get going. What is that one thing you can do like a ninja? Can you write good content and articles? Do you understand Facebook or do you understand social media? There are lots of people and businesses who don’t get it right. You can start a business and help them. They will be happy to pay you for your outstanding service.
If you are planning to start a business that is capital intensive, you can take on a consulting job to make some money and seed your venture. I never said it’s going to be easier, but doing business is not easy either. At least it will get you started towards realizing your bigger dream.
Over to you
A business is to solve a problem. And when you solve a real problem or improve efficiency and make life easy, people will be happy to pay you. Do you think you have identified a problem and you can fix it? Then go. Start a business. That’s what one of my friends and mentor told me when I was discussing the idea of ServiceSutra.com and how we are empowering users with choices when they need moving, storage, interior or pest control services. We are building it brick by brick and we’ll continue doing so.
Did you know that Infosys was started in 1981 by Mr. Murthy and six other colleagues with just $250 dollars, borrowed from his wife?
The time to start a business is now. Go start one.
