Wouldn’t it be great to be your own boss?
Owning a business means managing your own
time and following your dream. Starting a
business used to mean you needed a huge
amount of money to get you going, but in the
digital age you still have a lot of options. It is
possible to start a business with very little
money, if you have the right combination of
skills, work ethic and marketing know-how.
Looking for Inspiration?
Make something.
Crafting your way to success means that you
will also have overhead costs, but often the
products you make can be sold for so much
more than you spent making them. What you
make is totally up to you; handmade soaps,
stationery, a beloved hobby could turn into a
business quite easily. Here are some great
ideas you can get started with:
Sell your services
One cheap way to start a business is to sell
your own services. There are a huge range of
things you can offer, depending on your
interests. It’s always best to center your
business around what you already know or
enjoy doing, instead of venturing off into
uncharted territory. The more you use your
personal expertise and the less you have to rely
on outside sources the better.
Photography
Photography is a seriously low cost business
model to start – other than the camera of
course. When you have built up enough
contacts, you can begin to grow a team and
outsource your work to them to start bringing in
serious capital. Starting out as a pro
photographer is very exciting. It’s fun to realize
that a photography hobby can also be a great
way to earn a little extra money on the side.
Become a Personal Assistant
If you have a phone or a computer, and Internet
access you can be a virtual assistant. You can
easily start an assistant business without
spending a huge sum. For instance, the
fashion, food and music industries are at their
peak in the country, if you’re keen to spot
opportunities there’s no limit to how much you
can get out of them. Not forgetting how much
fun you will have at such informal forums and
the networks you will make while at it.
Makeup Artist
It’s two months to wedding peak season, and
YouTube is as much your friend as Google is. I
am sure you have a cousin or a friend or aunt
whose wedding is coming up soon, get
watching and have some fun with your brushes
and makeup. Makeup artistry is something you
can take and run with, from looks for events to
working with photographers for shoots. I think
you get the drift and you should totally try it
out if you’ve been thinking of it or have this
skill.
Hair Stylist
If your dream is to open a hair salon, now
might be the best time to do it. Is this a gold
mine or what? Look around you, there’s a lady
in cornrows – not to mention how many ways
you can style or braid them. A couple of people
have recently gone natural and need some
products or fancy protective styles for an
event. Generally, ladies love to try out different
looks and if you’re good at fixing that front lace
weave, why not start making money out of it?
Painter/Artist
Artists have a way of looking at the world
differently. If you’re one of them, go on and
sketch or paint the world from your own point
of view. I could be wrong but, i think we all
wonder what we’d look like in a portrait. Sketch
your family members or friends they’re always
supportive when we’re starting out. Once you
perfect the art, ask them to recommend you,
mix it up with networking and watch your hobby
make you some money.
Opportunities and ideas are endless, you can
make cushions or pillows, cook, bake or make
people’s nails. It’s up to you to maximize on
your skills and networks.
Setup your business online
Sites like PigiaMe allow you to set up a
business page on their site. This is a great low
commitment way of starting your own business
or promoting a business you already own. Their
services mean that your website and online
marketing strategy are already solved for you.
Set up your own marketing stall
Markets are a great low commitment and low
cost way of selling your wares. Join the traders
on the streets to test out your product or
service as it can be very cheap to man a pitch.
There are open air markets on specific days in
the city that one can exhibit at like the Nairobi
Fashion Market or Thrift Social that one can
get a stand at. By this time we hope some
money has been raised and put aside to pay
for a stand.
Do you have any zero budget business start up ideas? Share them by commenting below:
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