Cheap Business Ideas

James Truslow Adams writes in his book The Epic of America (1931) that the American Dream is:

"that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement..."

How right he was! The great thing about this country of ours is that YES WE CAN achieve whatever our hearts so desire with just a little bit of hard work and know-how. You bring the hard work and I will provide you with the know-how. So what do you want to do to get started on reaching for your very own American dream? If you don't know then this hubpage will provide you with some great cheap business ideas and opportunities to set you in the right direction. Remember, these are just ideas so feel free to expound on them and get creative with coming up with your own ways to make money.

Cheap Business Ideas

1. You've got the write stuff! What cheaper way to get started than to do something you already learned how to do in early elementary school? Choose a topic that you know a lot about, want to learn more about and/or are really passionate about. Once you have a topic in mind, just start writing. All you need is a computer, a word processing program and some internet search skills. You can create and monetize a blog, develop ebooks or submit articles to revenue-sharing sites like Info Barrel. Ghostwriting and traditional book publishing are other avenues to go. This won't make a lot of money right away but if you keep at it, you will eventually see a steady stream of income, much of it passive residual income which is the best kind!
2. One person's junk is another one's treasure! Look around your home (and those of friends and family) for useful junk you don't want anymore. Clean out closets, attics, basements and garages. You might be surprised by the wealth of stuff you might find there. You could even visit estate sales or garage sales to find other great reusable junk. Take your collection of loot, clean it up and price it. Then place auction listings on eBay or classified ads on sites like Craig's List. You could even grab a space in your local flea market. This is some great part-time income to generate on the weekends. What's more? You get to declutter your home and make money getting rid of all your old junk!
3. Speaking of decluttering! Become a professional organizer. This is such an easy job for people with a touch of OCD. Just kidding! But seriously, if you are really good about organizing, I mean really anal about it, why not help others get it done. People generally don't have the time, the energy, nor the willpower to get rid of their own junk. The numbers of packrats and horders are growing every day. You could be doing someone a really great service and positively impact their lives while you're at it.
4. Positively impact a life! Are you the go-to person for friends, family and coworkers in crisis? Do you get outrageous phone calls for help in the middle of the night? Do you seem to always be solving other people's problems? Are you a great listener? Then life coaching may be just the new career for you. Be your own boss, set your own hours, charge a set fee and transform people's lives by assisting them in achieving their wildest dreams. We could all use a bit of direction in our lives.
5. Consultants direct too! Maybe life coaching isn't your thing but you could still use your powerful resource skills by becoming a consultant. If you have enough experience and expertise in a particular subject then you could assist others in achieving their goals by providing consultation. Lend your skills and knowledge of best practices to help someone else succeed.
6. Start a candy vending machine company! This is so easy and takes hardly any capital to start. I'm not talking about those huge snack machines. Those can break down often and be cumbersome to service. I'm referring to the smaller gumball, candy and toy dispensers like those you would find in the entryway of a corner store or a hotel lobby. The average candy machine costs between $55 and $140 new and can be even cheaper used. You can purchase bulk candy and toys from a number of different companies for less than $50 per case. You'd be surprised with how much this little business can return on your investment. Just start small and remember the golden rule of business: location, location, location!
7. Join a network marketing company! You know Avon, Mary Kay, Prepaid Legal Services, Amway and all of those other companies that pay you for referring others to their product? These seriously can make you some sweet dough and many offer great incentives for your participation. Make sure that the company you are prospecting is legitimate and has a solid history. There are many scams out there but there are more than enough network marketing companies that are tried and true.
8. Don't forget about affiliate marketing! Like network marketing companies, you are paid for referring others but this form of business is a lot more passive. You apply to receive your very own affiliate links and then slap those babies onto your own websites, blogs and social networking site profiles. You will get paid for any of the purchases made when someone clicks through your affiliate links. You will see many of my own affiliate links sprinkled throughout my hubpages. Make sure that you get a PayPal account to accept payments.
9. Sell your autograph! It is ridiculously easy to become a notary public in most states. Some require a certification test but many only require a small fee to become bonded. Once you have your notary public license and official seal stamp, get started as a mobile notary signing agent. You will get paid for signing off and witnessing other's signatures on important legal documents. Beware of certification testing scams!
10. Capture memories! Are you handy with a digital camera? Photographers and videographers are always in high demand and with sites like SmugMug, you can turn a wedding gig into a lucrative payday. You could also submit your original images to stock photography sites to license out their use.
11. Get artsy fartsy! Do you like to draw? Are you great at creating cartoons? Why not create your own designs and place them on t-shirts, mugs and other products for sale? Websites like CafePress offer up to 80 different products that you could offer in your very own online store using your unique designs.
12. Throw a party! Are you really good at planning events and parties? Do your friends and family always ask you for help putting together birthdays and weddings? Do you have on-the-job experience with meeting facilitation, arranging travel and booking hotels? Becoming an event planner or a wedding planner may be just up your alley! Your biggest challenge here is in building up your networking contacts with locations, catering services, disc jockeys and other event-related service providers. Lots of dough to be made here.
13. Speak to your heart's content! Motivational speaking, corporate training and workshop presentation are all huge money makers. People crave information so if you know how to do something and can teach others, by all means host a seminar. If you are funny and inspiring, market yourself as a keynote speaker to nonprofit agencies or schools. The sky is the limit with this cheap small business. You can save googads of money on overhead if you choose to deliver your informational content via teleseminar, webinar or other online and VOIP means.
14. Copy this and copy that! CD and DVD duplication services are in high demand especially for other small businesses. Invest in a bulk duplicator, purchase some high-quality cds and dvds and you are in business. Reproduce music cds for local artists, presentations for small business owners and video recordings for workshop presenters. You could also partner with a photographer to generate digital photo albums for a fee.
15. Your virtual assistance please! Small business owners often can't afford to hire a full-time employee and many don't want to deal with temporary agencies. With just a telephone, a fax machine and a computer with internet and email capabilities, you can be well on your way to a lucrative career as a virtual assistant. Put your typing and other administrative skills to good use in this cheap small business that you can work from home and possibly get a tax break for use of a dedicated home office.

Do you have more ideas I can add to this list? Let me know your cheap business idea and how it worked for you. Did you try one of these ideas? What was your success? Leave me a comment below or forward me a message. You can also find more ideas about starting and running a cheap small business in the Recommended Reading list sponsored by Amazon below the Comment Box. Don't forget to follow me and/or bookmark this hubpage so you can get more great ideas for a cheap small biz.