Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase a product or service using one of the affiliate links within this post. I love all my affiliates and make sure they align with my brand before allowing them into my blog. Thanks for your support!

You did it! Whether you're just here out of curiosity or are doing some research before your launch, you made the decision to try something new.

And even though starting an online business without any money sounds a bit nuts, trust me, it's absolutely possible!

In fact, it's a really smart move if you're trying to generate an income before investing any money.

All in all, this is a great way to start a business (and once again, totally possible).

It doesn't matter if you're just investigating its possibilities or diving in head first, starting for free lets you explore the potential of your business idea without feeling any financial pressure.

Instead, you're building something amazing with a bit of creativity, passion, strategy, and determination.

Let's start breaking it down step by step.

How to Start an Online Business For FREE

I want to let you know a little unavoidable truth before we get too deep into this post.

Just because we're doing this for free doesn't mean there isn't a cost.

That cost being time.

I know, we all want to be that one in a million overnight success, but going in with that mindset can set you up for failure.

Being mentally prepared to be in this for the long run can be the key to success for a lot of people. I know it worked for me!

And just because it takes time to grow a business doesn't mean it isn't extremely rewarding once you start seeing the results you've been working towards.

My rule of thumb for anybody starting a business is to give it a minimum of 1 year.

This way you can see how much you've grown and can make well-informed decisions for the future.

One other thing you should be aware of is that quite a few "free" things we'll be talking about have both free and paid for options.

These free options will likely have limitations, so please be aware of that while setting everything up.

So, now that we've talked about the time you can expect to put into your business, let's start planning your business!

What You Can't Do (For Now)

Since we're doing this for free, there are a few things you won't be able to invest in right away.

That doesn't mean you can't in the future, but at the moment it isn't really an option.

The reason why I'm writing this paragraph isn't to dishearten you, but instead to give you a realistic view of what having a no-investment business is like.

Maybe you're dreaming of starting a specific business, but don't realize it costs money to start it.

Here is a list of things that you can't really do at the moment. (Disclaimer: Some of these do have free options, but they are (in my opinion) significantly worse than their paid options and aren't worth it at the moment. Hopefully in the future there will be better free options!)

• Blogging. Requires hosting and domain fees.

• Website. Requires hosting and domain fees.

• Podcasting. Hosting platform fees. This is something that is available at the moment, but the reality is that the free options might have limited storage or could remove episodes after a certain amount of time.

Other tools like paid advertising, premium graphic design software, or scheduling platforms may also be off the table initially.

But thankfully, just because you don't have these doesn't mean you can't build a successful business.

You'll just have to focus on what's available to you!

Know Your Business Type and Niche

Let's begin with the foundation of your business; what type of business are you starting?

This step is very important because it shapes everything else you’ll do.

When you don't have this, it can seriously affect your future growth and audience.

Alright, so to figure this out you want to think of two things.

1. What are you passionate about?

2. What are you knowledgeable about?

Topics like business, fitness, personal development, travel, and fashion are all great example of the kind of things we're looking for here.

Your niche should excite you. You should look forward to creating content about it.

If you don't, there's nothing wrong with continuing to search!

Grow Your Audience for Free

Once you know your niche, it’s time to start building an audience.

Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are fantastic for this because they’re free to use!

Youtube can also be fantastic if you're comfortable in front of a camera.

And you can use the free version of Canva to design any thumbnails and social media posts you may need.

For editing videos, platforms like iMovie (for Mac users) or free versions of software like DaVinci Resolve can make it easy to get the job done.

Many social media platforms offer video editing options of their own, you just have to choose what works for you.

When picking platforms to grow your audience, make sure to choose ones where your target audience tends to hang out.

Start an Email List the Free Way

Having an email list is extremely important if you want to stay connected to your audience.

It also has a higher chance of getting your audience to buy than social media platforms.

I love email lists because it allows you to have a more personal connection to your audience.

The best part is that you can start an email list for free!

Platforms like MailerLite and Mailchimp have free options that allow you to collect email addresses and send newsletters.

To grow your list, you can create a freebie that provides value to your audience.

This could be a...

• Checklist

• Mini eBook

• Template

• Short video tutorial

Promote your freebie on your social media platforms and encourage people to sign up for your email list to get access.

Great! Now you're building an audience without spending.

Create Digital Products for Free

Now let’s talk about making money!

Digital products are a great way to start generating income, and the best part is they don't have to cost anything to create.

I am a HUGE fan of using digital products to generate an income, and one of the reasons is that you can make them completely for free!

My favourite thing to do is to use Canva to make products. Here are some ideas to start you off:

• Templates

• Guides

• Cheat sheets

• eBooks

• Printables

• Checklists

• Journals

If you want to try something other than Canva, Google Docs and Sheets are perfect for creating templates and planners.

And if you want to make video-based products, platforms like Loom let you record and share videos for free.

Once your product is ready, you can set up a free online store using platforms like Gumroad or Payhip.

They allow you to sell your products and handle payments without upfront costs!

Final Tips

• Be Consistent: Create new content regularly on your chosen platforms. Consistency builds trust and keeps your audience engaged. I used to think "stay consistent" was something people said in passing, but my goodness I have witnessed the difference myself.

• Keep Learning: There are tons of free resources online such as blogs (like the one you're reading right now), YouTube tutorials, guides, and even free courses. Search them out and use them to improve your skills and grow your business.

• Stay Patient: As I said before, building a business takes time. Enjoy the small wins and keep working towards your goals. You'll thank yourself for it in the future! And please know that I understand what it feels like to wait. But at the end of the day, I can look back now and be extremely grateful to past me who put in the work and stayed patient to achieve my goals. And in the end, I really did! So please, don't feel disheartened at the waiting game, figure out ways to enjoy it!

Are You Ready to Start Your Business For Free?

Thanks for reading this far!

If you want to chat about anything I mentioned in this blog post, I'd love it if you DM me on Instagram!

See you soon!

Isabella