Let’s cut to the chase: you don’t need deep pockets to launch a successful business. I’ve been in the trenches of entrepreneurship for years, and I’m constantly amazed by how many opportunities exist for the cash-strapped go-getter. Whether you’re looking for a side hustle or your next big venture, this list of 100 low-cost business ideas might just spark your next money-making move. No fluff, just practical opportunities you can actually start without breaking the bank.
1. Virtual Assistant Service
The remote work revolution has created massive demand for VAs. Start with just a laptop, reliable internet, and your organizational skills. Target small business owners drowning in admin tasks, and charge $25-50 per hour with literally zero overhead.
2. Social Media Management
Businesses know they need social presence but lack the bandwidth to maintain it. If you understand platforms and content creation, you can bootstrap this business with existing tech and scale by adding clients before you need to hire help.
3. Content Writing Service
Companies are hungry for blog posts, newsletters, and website copy. Start solo with just your writing chops and a simple website. Position yourself in a niche (fintech, health, etc.) to command higher rates and reduce competition.
4. Online Tutoring
Pick a subject you know well and start tutoring via Zoom or specialized platforms. The beauty? No inventory, no commute, and you can scale your hourly rate as you build positive reviews and referrals.
5. Handmade Craft Business
Turn your hobby into cash flow by selling crafts online. Start small with materials you already have, test products on Etsy, then scale based on what sells. Keep inventory tight to maintain healthy margins.
6. Lawn Care Service
Basic equipment costs under $1,000, and you can start with just a few neighborhood clients. The recurring revenue model means stable cash flow, and you can bootstrap growth by reinvesting profits into better equipment.
7. Mobile Car Detailing
Car owners will pay premium prices for convenience. Start with basic cleaning supplies and travel to clients, eliminating the massive overhead of a physical location. Word-of-mouth marketing is free and incredibly effective here.
8. Freelance Graphic Design
If you’ve got design skills, all you need is your existing computer and maybe a subscription to design software. Start with smaller projects on platforms like Fiverr, then graduate to direct client relationships to boost your profit margins.
9. Dog Walking Service
Urban dog owners with disposable income will gladly pay for reliable walking services. Your startup costs? Maybe some business cards and waste bags. Scale by adding multiple dogs per walk to multiply your hourly rate.
10. House Cleaning Service
Basic cleaning supplies and reliable transportation are all you need to launch. Start with residential clients, then potentially expand to offices for more predictable revenue streams. This business scales nicely with minimal additional investment.
11. Personal Shopper/Stylist
Fashion-savvy entrepreneurs can leverage their taste and retail knowledge to help busy professionals. You’re selling expertise, not products, so overhead stays minimal while your personal brand becomes your biggest asset.
12. Bookkeeping Services
Small businesses need help with numbers but can’t afford full-time accountants. With basic accounting software and some financial knowledge, you can offer this crucial service with minimal startup investment.
13. Dropshipping Store
Launch an e-commerce store without inventory by connecting suppliers directly to customers. Your main costs will be a website and marketing, while you focus on niche selection and customer experience to stand out.
14. Print-On-Demand Merchandise
Create designs, upload them to platforms like Printful or Printify, and sell custom products without holding inventory. Your creativity becomes your competitive edge in this zero-inventory business model.
15. Local Tour Guide
Know your city’s hidden gems? Package that knowledge into walking tours for tourists or even locals. Your startup costs are minimal—maybe a website and some business cards—while you leverage existing expertise.
16. Personal Fitness Trainer
If you’re fitness-savvy, start training clients in parks or their homes to avoid gym rental fees. Initial certification might cost a few hundred dollars, but you can charge $50+ per session with just a small investment in portable equipment.
17. Resume Writing Service
Job seekers will pay handsomely for resumes that get results. Start with your existing computer and writing skills, targeting specific industries where you understand the lingo and requirements.
18. Event Planning
Begin with smaller events using your organizational skills and local vendor connections. Your value is in coordination and relationships, not in owning expensive inventory, keeping startup costs surprisingly low.
19. Subscription Box Curator
Start small with a niche audience and limited inventory, testing concepts before scaling. The subscription model creates predictable monthly revenue, and you can leverage supplier relationships to improve margins over time.
20. Mobile Notary Service
After getting your notary commission (usually a few hundred dollars), you can offer convenient signing services with minimal ongoing costs. The key differentiator? Your reliability and willingness to travel to clients.
21. Website Flipping
Buy underperforming websites, improve them, then sell at a profit. Start small with sites under $1,000, focusing on simple improvements to SEO, monetization, and design that dramatically increase value.
22. Social Media Consultant
Beyond managing accounts, offer strategic guidance to businesses struggling with platform algorithms and engagement. Your expertise and results become your selling point, requiring zero inventory or special equipment.
23. Online Course Creation
Package your knowledge into digital courses using platforms like Teachable or Thinkific. After initial content creation, this becomes a scalable passive income stream with virtually no marginal cost per additional student.
24. Podcast Production Service
Help aspiring podcasters with editing, show notes, and distribution. Start with your existing computer and inexpensive audio editing software, scaling your client base before investing in premium equipment.
25. Virtual Event Host
Companies need engaging online events but lack facilitation skills. With just a decent webcam and microphone, you can offer hosting services that transform boring meetings into memorable experiences.
26. Local SEO Consultant
Small businesses desperately need to rank in local searches but don’t understand SEO. Your skills and knowledge become your product, with minimal tools required beyond analysis software that often has free tiers.
27. Home Staging Service
Help realtors sell properties faster with strategic staging. Start by renting furniture for specific jobs, maintaining zero inventory until you’ve established consistent cash flow and client relationships.
28. Food Delivery Service
Not traditional delivery—think specialized niches like home-cooked meals for busy professionals or diet-specific options. Begin with a small client base and your existing kitchen to keep upfront costs minimal.
29. Translation Services
If you’re multilingual, offer specialized translation in fields like legal, medical, or technical documentation. Your language skills are the product, making this essentially a zero-inventory business with premium pricing potential.
30. Airbnb Management
Help property owners maximize their short-term rental income by managing listings, guest communication, and cleaning coordination. Start with just one property to establish systems before scaling.
31. Digital Marketing Agency
Focus initially on one specialized service like email marketing or PPC campaigns. Your results become your marketing, allowing you to bootstrap growth through client success stories rather than expensive tools.
32. Tech Support Service
Provide on-call tech help to non-tech-savvy individuals or small businesses. Your knowledge is the product, making startup costs negligible beyond basic diagnostic tools and transportation.
33. Meal Prep Service
Health-conscious but time-starved professionals will pay for weekly prepared meals. Start in your existing kitchen with a small client base, scaling gradually as demand and capital allow for commercial space.
34. Mobile Phone Repair
Learn through online tutorials, purchase basic tools (under $200), and offer convenient repair services. Your ability to come to customers eliminates the massive overhead of a retail location.
35. Pet Sitting Service
Animal lovers with flexible schedules can build a steady clientele of pet owners who travel. Start with friends and neighbors, letting organic word-of-mouth drive growth before investing in formal marketing.
36. Personal Chef Service
Cook in clients’ homes using their equipment and ingredients plus your expertise. This eliminates the enormous costs of a restaurant while allowing premium pricing for the luxury of personalization.
37. Handyman Service
If you’re handy with home repairs, start taking jobs that require minimal specialized equipment. Build your tool inventory gradually using revenue from completed jobs, focusing initially on quick, high-margin tasks.
38. Moving Service
With a reliable truck (rented initially if needed) and some basic equipment, you can help people relocate. This business thrives on hustle and reliability rather than massive capital investment.
39. Mobile Car Wash
Time-strapped car owners will pay for the convenience of driveway washing. Start with basic cleaning supplies and a portable water tank, scaling to multiple service vehicles as demand grows.
40. Freelance Copyediting
Publishers and content creators need sharp eyes to catch errors. Your attention to detail becomes your product, requiring nothing beyond your existing computer and maybe a style guide subscription.
41. Virtual Travel Planning
Despite booking sites, travelers still value personalized itineraries and insider recommendations. Your travel knowledge becomes your inventory in this zero-overhead business model.
42. 3D Printing Service
Entry-level printers now cost under $300, allowing you to offer custom production for prototypes, hobbyists, and specialized parts. Scale by reinvesting profits into additional or higher-quality printers.
43. Errand Running Service
Busy professionals will outsource everyday tasks to reclaim their time. Start with reliable transportation and organizational skills, potentially specializing in specific errand types as you identify market needs.
44. Custom Furniture Refinishing
Transform outdated furniture into fashionable pieces with some basic tools and supplies. Your transformation skills become your competitive advantage, while materials can be billed directly to clients.
45. Niche Job Board
Create a specialized job listing site for a specific industry or location. Your costs are mainly website hosting and marketing, while you can monetize through employer listing fees or premium candidate access.
46. Affiliate Marketing Website
Build content around products you genuinely recommend, earning commissions on sales. Initial investment is primarily time for content creation and website setup, with revenue scaling without inventory costs.
47. Social Media Content Creator
Create templates and content libraries that brands can purchase for their feeds. Your creative output becomes productized, allowing you to sell the same designs to multiple non-competing businesses.
48. Digital Product Shop
Create downloadable templates, printables, or guides that solve specific problems. After creation, these digital assets sell with no per-unit cost, creating excellent margins and passive income potential.
49. Appliance Repair Service
Learn through online courses and apprenticeship, then offer specialized repair for specific appliance types. Tools are your main investment, while knowledge and reliability become your competitive edge.
50. Local Delivery Service
Focus on items traditional services don’t handle well—fragile goods, time-sensitive documents, or specialty products. Start with your vehicle and a simple booking system before investing in dedicated delivery transportation.
51. Drone Photography Service
Entry-level commercial drones now cost under $1,000, opening opportunities for real estate shots, events, and inspections. Licensing requires studying but isn’t prohibitively expensive, creating a skills-based barrier to entry.
52. Computer Setup Service
Help non-technical people configure new devices, transfer data, and install needed software. Your technical knowledge is the product, requiring minimal tools beyond what you likely already own.
53. Referral Service
Connect service providers with clients in specialized fields, taking a commission on successful placements. Your network becomes your inventory in this relationship-based business with minimal overhead.
54. YouTube Channel Monetization
Create niche content using your existing smartphone or basic camera. While building an audience takes time, production costs can be minimal if you focus on valuable information rather than fancy production.
55. Pest Control Service
After appropriate licensing (varies by state), offer targeted pest elimination with equipment that costs far less than most business startups. Recurring service models create predictable revenue streams.
56. Window Cleaning Service
Commercial and high-end residential clients pay premium rates for this specialized service. Basic equipment costs under $500, while skill and reliability become your main competitive advantages.
57. Jewelry Making Business
Start with simple designs and affordable materials, testing market response before investing in precious components. Direct-to-consumer sales through markets and social platforms maximize your margins.
58. Personalized Gift Basket Service
Create customized gift assortments for corporate clients and special occasions. Start with made-to-order baskets to minimize inventory, focusing on presentation and personalization as your value-add.
59. Local Laundry Service
Offer wash-and-fold or specialized garment care using existing equipment initially. Convenience and attention to detail become your differentiators in this service business with established demand.
60. Equipment Rental Business
Start with one category you know well—tools, camping gear, or party supplies. Begin with a small inventory of high-demand items, reinvesting rental income to expand your offerings over time.
61. College Application Consultant
Help students navigate the increasingly complex application process. Your knowledge and guidance are the products, requiring minimal overhead beyond research resources and communication tools.
62. Senior Concierge Service
Provide assistance with technology, transportation, and daily tasks for older adults. This relationship-based business requires minimal startup capital but benefits enormously from reliability and trust.
63. Storage Organization Service
Help clients optimize their closets, garages, and storage spaces. Your system and approach become your competitive edge, while supplies can be billed directly to clients, minimizing your cash outlay.
64. Urban Gardening Consultant
Guide apartment dwellers and homeowners in creating productive food gardens in limited spaces. Your knowledge becomes your inventory, with potential add-on revenue from supplying specialized equipment.
65. Online Dating Profile Consultant
Help clients present their best selves on dating platforms through better photos, profiles, and messaging strategies. This service requires zero special equipment beyond your existing devices and social intelligence.
66. Home Energy Audit Service
After some training, help homeowners identify energy efficiency opportunities. Basic thermal imaging attachments for smartphones have made this formerly expensive service much more accessible to entrepreneurs.
67. Holiday Decorator
Seasonal decoration services for homes and businesses require some initial inventory investment, but premium pricing and concentrated seasonal work can create excellent returns on limited startup capital.
68. Clothing Alteration Service
Quality tailoring remains in demand despite fast fashion. Start with your existing sewing equipment, focusing on precision and reliability to build a loyal clientele through word-of-mouth.
69. Junk Removal Service
Help people clear unwanted items, starting with just a truck (rented initially if needed) and some basic moving equipment. Many items can be resold, creating a second revenue stream.
70. Custom Baking Business
Specialty cakes and desserts command premium prices. Many states have cottage food laws allowing home-based production, drastically reducing startup costs compared to commercial kitchens.
71. Mobile Oil Change Service
Bring convenient maintenance to busy car owners with basic tools and supplies. The elimination of facility overhead allows competitive pricing while maintaining healthy margins.
72. Professional Organizing Service
Help clients create systems for their homes and offices. This knowledge-based business requires minimal equipment investment while creating tangible value clients willingly pay for.
73. Bicycle Repair Service
Basic repair tools cost under $500, while expertise in maintaining increasingly complex bikes commands good hourly rates. Mobile service adds convenience value customers will pay premium rates to access.
74. Local Food Tour Business
Package your knowledge of local eateries into guided experiences. Partner with restaurants for special tastings, creating experiences that justify tour fees while keeping your startup costs minimal.
75. Resume Template Shop
Design professional templates job seekers can customize. Once created, these digital products sell without additional production costs, creating excellent margins and passive income.
76. Online Therapy Practice
Licensed therapists can launch virtual practices with dramatically lower overhead than traditional offices. Specialized telehealth platforms handle scheduling and payments for reasonable fees.
77. Small Engine Repair
Lawn equipment, pressure washers, and generators constantly need maintenance. Basic tools and diagnostic equipment cost under $1,000, while repairs command professional hourly rates.
78. Voice-Over Service
Quality microphones now cost under $200, opening opportunities for voice work from home. Platforms connect voice actors with clients, allowing you to build a portfolio without expensive marketing.
79. Vacation Property Prep Service
Help rental owners prepare properties between guests with cleaning, restocking, and inspection. Reliable service in tourist areas commands premium rates with minimal equipment investment.
80. Contract Paralegal Service
Offer specialized legal document preparation to attorneys needing flexible support. Your knowledge becomes your product, requiring minimal overhead beyond professional software subscriptions.
81. Mobile Tire Installation
Seasonal demand for tire changing creates steady work with specialized but relatively affordable equipment. The convenience factor allows pricing above traditional shops despite lower overhead.
82. Furniture Assembly Service
The frustration of boxed furniture creates opportunity for those with patience and basic tools. Hourly rates substantially exceed the minimal investment in quality hand tools.
83. Calligraphy and Hand Lettering
From wedding invitations to custom signs, beautiful writing commands premium prices. Basic supplies cost under $100, while skill development becomes your main investment.
84. Home Childproofing Service
New parents will invest in safety, creating opportunity for specialized childproofing services. Basic installation tools and supplier relationships keep startup costs low while expertise justifies professional rates.
85. Coworking Space Broker
Connect remote workers with underutilized spaces like restaurant private rooms during off-hours. Your matching service creates value with minimal overhead beyond basic technology and marketing.
86. Plant Maintenance Service
Offices and homes invest in greenery but lack care knowledge. Basic gardening supplies and plant knowledge become a business with recurring revenue and predictable scheduling.
87. Personal Shopping Service for Seniors
Help older adults maintain independence through regular shopping assistance. Relationship-based service requires minimal investment beyond reliable transportation and organizational skills.
88. Data Entry Service
Accurate, fast typing skills remain in demand despite automation. Your attention to detail becomes your product, requiring just your existing computer and internet connection.
89. Local Review Website
Create the definitive guide to your area’s businesses, monetizing through sponsored listings and ads. Website costs are minimal while local knowledge becomes your competitive advantage.
90. Pet Waste Removal Service
Residential yards require regular maintenance that homeowners gladly outsource. Basic equipment costs under $200, while the recurring service model creates predictable revenue.
91. Pool Maintenance Service
Seasonal demands for pool care create steady work with relatively affordable testing and cleaning equipment. Knowledge of water chemistry becomes your competitive advantage.
92. Mobile Dry Cleaning Pickup
Partner with existing cleaners to provide convenient pickup and delivery, taking a service fee without cleaning facility investments. Your reliability and convenience become your selling points.
93. Online Art Sales
Digital platforms now connect artists directly with buyers, eliminating gallery commissions. Start with your existing creative skills and minimal photography equipment to showcase your work effectively.
94. Roof Gutter Cleaning
Seasonal demand creates steady work with basic equipment costing under $500. The specialized nature and safety concerns allow premium pricing for a relatively straightforward service.
95. Custom T-Shirt Printing
Modern heat press machines cost under $300, allowing on-demand production without inventory risks. Focus on specialized niches where customization commands premium pricing.
96. Estate Sale Service
Help families liquidate possessions, taking commission without inventory investment. Organizational skills and marketing ability become your main assets in this relationship-based business.
97. Pressure Washing Service
Entry-level commercial pressure washers cost under $1,000 while commanding professional hourly rates. Focus on specific surfaces or industries to develop specialized expertise and efficiency.
98. Courier Service
Time-sensitive local deliveries remain in demand despite shipping giants. Reliable transportation and scheduling systems require minimal investment while allowing premium pricing for urgency.
99. Online Research Service
Companies need specialized information but lack research bandwidth. Your analytical skills and information access (much available freely) become valuable services requiring minimal startup capital.
100. Professional Home Stager
Help homeowners prepare properties for sale, initially using their existing furniture supplemented with minimal accent purchases. Your design eye becomes your product, not expensive inventory.
About the Author
I’ve launched seven businesses over 15 years, with five profitable exits and two spectacular failures that taught me more than the successes. My passion is helping aspiring entrepreneurs skip the expensive mistakes I made when starting out with more ambition than capital. I believe strongly that resourcefulness always beats resources in the early stages of any business journey.