Can you start an online biz with just $100?

[Teena]

[Nerz]

[DBeavers]

[jimmydennis]

Yes! There are so many ways to advertise and network for free online. Not to mention all the self replicating website programs you can get into for FREE! It is definitely possible. Make the best of what you have, and never give up!

[WAHumor]

Hmmm...I'm not so sure about the self replicating websites.

Especially because so many other people have exactly the same thing!

Get a good idea, research the heck out of it to be sure people want it, find affiliate programs for products and/or services that relate directly to it, get a $10.00/month web host and a $20.00/month autoresponder service (HostGator and Aweber are highly recommended) set up your site using the free NVU editor, apply to the affiliate programs and put their links on your site, start a newsletter, write and post articles...

On second thought, read as much as you can here for one week and ask questions. The rest will be easy!

[tot]

A computer itself costs more than $100 and so does cable.

If you aren't going to count those two items, then maybe. Jennifer at Search Engine Guide wrote a free e-book about starting an online business using only about $100. The book was quite popular.

She sold tee-shirts on cafe press and targeted them to new and nursing mothers.

Although she had access to a lot of software to track and test, she forbade herself to use it for this project.

She also did not include computer or cable costs.

[DBeavers]

Tot,

Many people already have a computer and internet access at home. For these, it is only a matter of finding a viable business that will generate income for them. It won't mean spending additional money as part of the business.

Households in the US reached a milestone this year, when over half of them acquired one form or another of high speed internet - cable, DSL, or satellite antenna. There's no reason for that statistic, unless they already have an internet-ready computer. Many of those homes in the 49% or less without highspeed internet still have dial-up connections.

Not sure of the total household stats with some form of internet or another, but I would venture it is over 2/3rds. So, these individuals wouldn't have to invest in a computer to get started.

Stats outside the US will vary, but not necessarily be lower than US figures.

Many people could start listing items for sale on eBay today, without spending a penny out of pocket. That is just one option.

I believe in seeing the glass as half-full, not half-empty.

Dennis

[tot]

[DBeavers]

Tot,

I already provided statistics for home computer use and internet access that show the majority of US homes have internet access. If the majority of homes have internet access than obviously they have computers.

The few people in the US who are searching for business opportunities online without computers are primarily using public computers, ie library, public school, or job center computers or a borrowed computers of a friend or relative. I would consider them to be a real majority.

You didn't state if you were in the US or not, but if you are than you are looking at a small area of limited access out of the 300 Million US Population that have access to computers in homes with internet access.

Of the 800 or more people who have contacted me to request an opportunity packet in the past 5 years, I only recall one who didn't have internet access. He used a borrowed computer to email his request.

So, the vast majority of those 800 already have computers and internet.

If you live outside the US, then naturally your "population" could be in a very different situation.

Dennis

[ppl1099]

Your best bet is to go with a stable and established company, that already has a great business plan and system in place. Take me for example. I paid my $49 associate fee, and bought my $35 membership package (the product is a pre-paid legal plan and identity theft shield) with a one time enrollment fee for the plan. Followed the system and I am up and going. I have tried and invested in many different on-line businesses, but this one is by far the best. The company is stable, the product market expanding and virtually no competition. for less than a $100. They pay out daily so there is no waiting for your money after your sale. It is U.S. and Canada based. All the tools are available to you, set up and ready to sell.

What more can you ask for??

[Warren Contreras]

I guess it comes down to what qualifies as a "Business" right?

If you mean it has to support a family of four by the end of the first month, then of course it would be hard to accomplish with $100.

But if you mean just make a profit, then I think it's easy. You don't even need a computer if you have a public library near by.

Anyone can log on and get a free email address. Then use that to get a free PayPal account established. Then use those to find a real product that is very popular and sign up as a distributor.

If you are totally flat broke, there are even places you can spend time instead of money and generate your startup capital easily in a month, then go on to reinvest that income into something that pays better.

As you progress and learn more by spending time online it's feasible to snowball that small beginning into $1,000 a month or more. Can you imagine what that would do for those who had to declare bankruptcy last year alone?

[DBeavers]

My path to online profits was easier, simply because I had already been in business for 15 years. Expanding online merely required me to get a website and traffic to the site.

I started my business back in 1984, when the internet was only a dream, not an option. In 1998, I already had a computer and internet access at my home. Once I had the website, buyers from California to Florida, Virginia and Maine started ordering from my site.

It wasn't a case of instant success. It was a matter of new income on top of the income I already had after 15 years of selling face-to-face.
The new customer base, scattered all across the US, enabled us to have our best year ever, with the combined sales volume.

Many successful online ventures are merely expanding their customer base by marketing to a greater audience. Many antique shops are selling products on eBay and via their own website, and ofter moving products that were collecting dust in their "brick & mortar" shops.

So if someone is still seeking a product to sell online, consider what sells in your local area, that could be shipped to buyers across the US at a reasonable price.

If you have access to products that are undervalued in your local market, but appreciated elsewhere, you merely need to get it in on eBay or elsewhere for the potential buyers to see it.

Hope this post helps.

Dennis Bevers

[paulpenafiel]

That's a very good question !

Can you start an online business for about $100 bucks?

First of all, you have to consider down the road that you will need services where it requires monthly fees such as hosting, autoresponder and tracking services etc, but for now you can get a domain for less than $15 bucks.

I have my hosting at Nexus Exchange, which is a traffic exchange and for $10 bucks a month I get free traffic to go along with that.

My first mistake when I first started several years ago was not getting a domain name and didn't a concrete plan.

That $100 bucks sooner or later it will ran out and you need to have a plan in place to replenish it, you need a cash flow from either a part-time job on weekends or do some overtime.

In your case at least you have something to start with, some start with absolutely nothing and let me tell you it's really hard, but it's a good starting point, as your income grows overtime you will be able to afford to get other things you need.

Good luck,

[samwilson88]

I always cringe when I see or hear about people who take a simple idea, build a website around that idea, write articles etc. etc. etc. It all sounds so easy! However I know it is not. I tried for a whole year to do the website thing and never paid for my hosting fees. I starting selling on ebay and I work strictly from home, earn 50% of my income from ebay and I have a couple of other projects I work on at home and life is good. I know all the affiliate marketers will say how easy it is blah, blah, blah, etc etc etc. The sad thing is you probably are right. I hate it never worked for me.

[koanwrangler]

what a stimulating thread... I need to stop by more often.

After reading, I got curious and decided to see just how cheaply I could start over if I needed to.

First, I hopped over to ebay to see just how cheaply one can acquire a computer.

You can get a slow but fuctional laptop (it has to be a laptop- you want a Portable Empire!) for $49. I found one with wireless capability. They didn't specify shipping... but I'm thinking 15-20 bucks.

Since I'm in the information marketing business, I'm in business. I know where the coffee shops with free internet access are.

Next, I would write an ebook about how to do something. Research on Google and hanging out in forums would provide the topic. I'd write it in MS word, because my cheap computer comes with it, but Open Office (free) will work fine. Open office also has a PDF generator, so I can turn my text into an ebook.

Now, I need to spend $12. $9 for a domain and $3 for hosting at godaddy.

I can use MS Word to create my sales page and download page (save as HTML) or use NVU, which is a free WYSIWYG web-design program.

Now, it's time to spend another $3.99 for a test-drive of 1shoppingcart. I know, I know- aweber is better for lists. However, 1shoppingcart just plain does things that aweber doesn't do.

Now (and here's the tricky part) I'm going to give away my ebook.

A quick google search will show me who the big players are in my niche. I contact them, and ask them to please give away my free ebook to their subscribers. It's an easy sell. They look good to their subscribers. Their subscribers are getting free info- and showing me that they're interested in my niche. Cool.

Of course, they'll have to go through a "squeeze page" to get their free ebook, so I'll have the name and email address of everybody who downloads...

Voila- for less than $86, including computer, I've got a business.

But wait... where's the money?

I've added thousands of names to my lists in a weekend using this technique. That gives me thousands of targeted potential customers who have already expressed interest in my niche.

Now, I can create more products, find affiliate products in my niche, etc.

Since we're on a budget, I'd set up a sales page using paypal, which is free.

There are other ways to approach the problem, but that's how I'd handle it.

As far as I'm concerned, the need for attorneys, incorporation, CPAs, etc. are problems that come wrapped in their own solution. If you're making enough money to need a CPA or a tax attorney, you can afford one.