12 businesses you can start for under $100

Dreaming of starting your own business but don’t have the capital stashed away? Here are 12 businesses you can start for under $100. Granted, you might not become one of those instant billionaires by starting off so slow, but you never know, right?
These are all businesses that have few to no start-up costs, most of which you can kick off with nothing but a website and some crafty social media work.
Please note that these are just some ideas, and there are probably plenty more of them out there. Think about what people need or want, and give it to them. For example, these people started a cuddling service. They will come to your house and cuddle with you. Or you can go to them. Whichever. Apparently there are a lot of lonely people out there, which is distressing, but also a great opportunity to make some money.
On a possibly less dangerous note, you can also get haircuts, manicures, and even kittens delivered to your home. Where can you move into the market?
Also note: there are potential licensing, insurance, and safety concerns, which could mean added costs. You’ll have to look into those yourself. I’m not your personal assistant (thought there is a market for those).
Delivery of delicious food stuffs: These Penn State students started a cupcake delivery service. Who among us has never been sitting around and wishing for exactly that? Also, there’s many a time when I’ve wished someone would come over to my house and cook me dinner. I bet there’s a pretty big market for that. The cupcake people sell them in packages of six and charge from $1.30 to $1.50 for mini cupcakes and from $2.50 for full-size cupcakes.
Cleaning service: You know how to clean right? Many cleaners rely on the client to provide the cleaning products, so you can save money there. Should you wish to provide your own, you can surely do so on the cheap. And away you go. You can charge about $20-$25 an hour.
Online shop: Sell your handmade or vintage items on Etsy. You know those little doggie sweaters you knit, or those beaded earrings you make? Turn that hobby into income. One woman I know makes a few hundred dollars a month in her spare time reselling vintage clothing. Income levels from the site seem to range from nothing to thousands of dollars, though you’d probably have to quit your day job to get that upper end.
Consultancy: If you are an expert in something, people might pay for consulting. It’s not necessarily a practical choice for everyone, as driving business for, say, your content strategy revamping business would depend largely on word of mouth. But if you already have a great reputation and just want to make the leap from 9-5 to freelance, this could be for you. The pricing would be standard for your industry.
Resume writing: We can tell you in no uncertain terms that there are a lot of people out there who could use help with their resumes. If this is something you’re particularly good at, I encourage you to help them. You can charge about $100 to a few hundred dollars per resume from entry level to executive level.
Personal Concierge Services: Pick up the dry cleaning, do the grocery shopping, send the husband flowers, wait in line at the post office, organize the closets … people will potentially pay you to take care of any number of errands or menial tasks because there aren’t enough hours in the day. According to Canadian Business, Toronto based My Stewards charges $70 an hour and also has subscription options.
Virtual assistance: There is a host of services people are willing to farm out to virtual assistants – email correspondence, appointment making, bill paying, bookkeeping, data entry, travel booking. A virtual assistant essentially does everything a live one does, but from home. This company, Zirtual, lists their pricing as $400 – $1200 for up to 16 hours and up to 55 hours, respectively. It’s a fairly new gig though and you can probably test what the market will bear.
Tutoring: Got smarts? Share them with the world. Make people’s kids smarter and make the world a better place. You can charge anywhere from $10 to about $75 an hour, depending on your level of education and expertise.
House painting: I bet you can use a paintbrush. I found someone selling a whole swack of painting supplies in Kijiji for $50. So, this is potentially easy if you do your due diligence. The cost of painting a single story three bedroom house, according to these people is about $1,500-$3,000 and a larger house can run to $3,000-$5,500 or more.
Personal shopper: Not everyone loves to shop. I hate it. So, if you do, do it for someone else. According to Entrepreneur, some personal shoppers make less than $20K a year, but call yourself an “image consultant” and you can charge from $150 an hour for individuals to $750 an hour for corporations. Marcel Massini is a personal Ferrari shopper who travels the world choosing luxury cars for his clients. I have no idea what he makes. And, of course, there are personal real estate shoppers.
Personal stylist: Some people have trouble with their image while others have a knack for making people look great. If you’re in the latter category, you can make up to $300K, says Entrepreneur.
Freelance writing: If you can write there is an ever increasing demand for your services out there, as companies realize the importance of online content. You can do quite well with nothing but a keyboard and some spelling and grammar skills. Prices range so widely it’s kind of a joke, from zero dollars to six figures for the writer who really knows what he or she is doing.
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