1. Drop Shipping

What It Is: Imagine you own a toy store, but you don’t keep any toys in your house or garage. Instead, when someone buys a toy from your website, you simply tell another company (the supplier) to send it straight to the customer. You don’t pack boxes, you don’t ship anything, and you don’t pay for the toy until you already have a customer.

Example: Sarah loves home décor but doesn’t have the money to stock products. She makes a small online shop selling coffee mugs and wall art. When someone buys, her supplier ships the items directly to the buyer. Sarah earns money without ever touching the products.

Why It’s Practical: Zero inventory risk — you only pay for items once you’ve made a sale. No warehousing or shipping headache — fulfillment is handled by the supplier. Broad product range — you can list diverse products without upfront investment.

Challenges to Consider: Margins may be thin, so volume matters. Supplier reliability is crucial — delayed or low-quality shipments reflect on your brand. Standard products = heavier competition, unless you can personalize or differentiate.

Tips for Success: Pick a niche you understand or are passionate about. Build brand trust—perhaps through “private labeling” or curating product selection. Automate order processing and closely monitor supplier quality.

How to Start (Step-by-Step): Pick a small niche (e.g., cat mugs, hiking T-shirts, funny kitchen towels). Find reliable suppliers that can ship directly to your customers (look for good reviews and clear shipping times). Set up a simple shop page (a basic one-page site or a free storefront works fine). Add 10–20 products with clear photos and simple descriptions. Tell people! Share your shop link with friends, groups, and social media. Start small, learn, improve.

2. Affiliate Marketing

What It Is: Think of this like recommending your favorite snack to a friend. If your friend buys the snack from the store, the store gives you a thank-you gift. Online, it works the same way. You recommend a product by sharing a special link. If people click the link and buy, you get a small amount of money.

Example: James runs a simple Instagram page where he shares his favorite fitness gear. When he posts a link to a water bottle on Amazon and his followers buy it, James earns a small commission.

Why It’s Practical: No product creation or customer support needed. Huge affiliate networks exist (e.g., Amazon, ClickBank, CJ Affiliate)—lots of product options. Works seamlessly with blogs, social media, email, or content platforms.

Challenges to Consider: Building an audience takes time—you need traffic to click your links. Trust is the cornerstone—promoting only reputable products matters to long-term success.

Tips for Success: Produce authentic, helpful content in a niche—e.g., product guides, reviews, how-tos. Be transparent—let your audience know when links are affiliate. Experiment with diversifying across multiple programs for stability.

How to Start (Step-by-Step): Choose a topic you enjoy (e.g., budget tech, skincare, home workouts, study tools). Join affiliate programs from trusted stores/brands in that topic. Create helpful content: “Top 5,” “Beginner’s guide,” “Best for under $25.” Place your special links where it makes sense (inside the guide, video description, or post). Be honest and say you may earn a small commission. People trust honesty.

3. Online Video (YouTube, TikTok, etc.)

What It Is: Have you ever watched a YouTube video about cooking, games, or even funny cats? Anyone can make those videos—including you! You can use your phone to record and upload. Over time, as more people watch your videos, the platform might pay you to run ads. You can also earn when brands pay you to show their products.

Example: A teenager named Lily loves drawing cartoon characters. She starts a YouTube channel where she shows how to sketch step by step. Over time, she gets thousands of subscribers and earns money through ads and sponsorships from art supply companies.

Why It’s Practical: Completely free to start—use your phone or free editing software. Huge potential reach—billions of users watch video content daily. Diverse revenue streams: ad revenue, sponsored segments, and affiliate links.

Challenges to Consider: Requires consistency and creativity to build an audience. Revenue takes time—monetization thresholds exist (like minimum subscribers and watch hours).

Tips for Success: Focus on topics you enjoy or have knowledge about. Post regularly and optimize titles, descriptions, and thumbnails for search. Engage with your audience - respond to comments and build community.

How to Start (Step-by-Step): Pick one clear theme (e.g., “5-minute recipes,” “study hacks,” “easy doodles”). List 20 quick video ideas so you never run out. Record on your phone in a bright spot; speak clearly; keep it short. Edit with a free app; add captions and a simple title/thumbnail. Post weekly and reply to comments. Add affiliate links to tools you use.

4. Blogging

What It Is: A blog is like your own little online magazine. You write posts about topics you like—recipes, travel tips, fitness advice, tech gadgets, or even personal stories. When people search on Google and find your blog, they read your posts. You can then make money by showing ads, writing sponsored articles, or recommending products.

Example: Jessica loves baking and started a blog called “Sweet Treats at Home.” She posts simple cookie recipes with step-by-step photos. As her blog grows, she adds ads and earns money. Later, she even shares affiliate links to baking tools she uses.

Why It’s Practical: Low to zero upfront costs—free platforms like WordPress.com let you start immediately. Content works for you long-term—evergreen posts can generate passive income for years. Easy to combine with affiliate marketing and organic search traffic.

Challenges to Consider: Building readership takes time and quality content. Monetary returns are gradual—you need traffic thresholds for ad networks like AdSense.

Tips for Success: Choose a clear niche with audience interest and monetization potential. Invest in SEO—use keywords, optimize for speed and readability. Publish consistently and promote through social media or guest posts.

How to Start (Step-by-Step): Choose a focus (e.g., “budget meals,” “DIY crafts,” “student money tips”). Create a free blog and write 5 starter posts that solve real problems. Use simple titles people search for (e.g., “Easy 10-minute pasta,” “How to save $50 on groceries”). Add clear pictures and short paragraphs; make it easy to skim. Share your posts in groups and on social—then keep posting weekly.

5. Information Products

What It Is: Imagine you’re really good at drawing, baking, or solving math problems. You can take what you know and turn it into something that teaches others—like an ebook, a short online course, or a guide. Once you create it, you don’t have to keep remaking it. People can keep buying and downloading it again and again.

Example: Andy is a whiz at guitar. He creates a short online course called “Learn 5 Easy Songs on Guitar.” He uploads it to a platform like Gumroad. Students pay once to download, and Andy earns money every time without teaching live.

Why It’s Practical: No physical inventory—digital delivery is instantaneous. High profit margins—once created, the distribution cost is near zero. Great for passive income—customers can purchase anytime, without your active involvement.

Challenges to Consider: Time and effort upfront—creating high-quality content takes energy. Marketing is essential—no one will buy unless they understand the value.

Tips for Success: Solve a specific problem—target your content to a defined audience. Use free platforms like Teachable, Gumroad, or self-hosted stores. Leverage your blog, videos, or social channels to build visibility and authority.

How to Start (Step-by-Step): Pick one tiny problem to solve (e.g., “Pass basic algebra,” “Bake perfect brownies,” “First watercolor kit guide”). Make a simple outline: problem → steps → examples → quick wins. Create it with free tools (type a PDF, record a short video, or both). Upload to a platform that lets you list for free and takes a small cut when you sell. Offer a free sample (first chapter/checklist) to build trust and collect emails.

Conclusion

You don’t need to be rich to start a business. With the internet, all you need is creativity, time, and the willingness to keep learning.

Here are the 5 best ways to start with no money: Drop Shipping – Sell products without holding them. Affiliate Marketing – Recommend items and earn commission. Online Video – Make videos and get paid for views. Blogging – Write posts and earn from ads and links. Information Products – Teach something once and sell it many times.

A Simple “Start This Week” Plan

Day 1: Pick one business from the list and choose a tiny niche. Day 2: Write your first 10 ideas (products to list, videos to record, or posts to write). Day 3: Set up your free page/channel/blog and add a friendly “About” section. Day 4: Create your first piece (a product page, a video, or a blog post). Day 5: Share it with friends, a community, or a group that likes your topic. Day 6: Make a second piece and improve one thing (title, image, thumbnail). Day 7: Review what worked, plan next week, and keep going.

So, if you’ve ever dreamed of having your own business, why not start today? Pick one that excites you, take the first step, and remember—every big business once started small.

Final Tip

Start simple. Keep promises. Be honest. Help people. If you do those things every week, your tiny online project can grow into a real business—without spending money up front.