How to Start a Business With No Money (& Not Lose Your Mind in the Process)
If you’re wondering how to start a business with no money, I have some good news: you absolutely can. Plenty of businesses need big equipment or expensive products, but if you’re working with services, digital offers, or skills that live inside your brilliant brain, you can start a business with no money today. (And before you ask: yes, this is your sign.)
1. Pick a business that doesn’t need money to get started
Shocking, I know. But the first step in how to start a business with no money is choosing something… that doesn’t require money.
This usually means a service-based business like:
Copywriting
Virtual assisting
Coaching/consulting
Brand or website design
It can also include digital products.
If your business idea doesn’t require buying machinery, 47 tools, and a warehouse, you’re already halfway there.
2. Do your research before you do anything else
I know Google isn’t always our bestie (some of those search results feel like they were written by a robot who hasn’t touched grass since 2012), but if you want to know how to start a business with no money, research is your day-one non-negotiable.
You don’t need a complicated business plan. You don’t need a 47-slide pitch deck. You just need to understand three things:
Is there demand for what you want to do?
Who else is doing it, and what does the landscape look like?
How can you do it in a way that feels like you and not a copy/paste version of someone else?
Stalking competitors is not cheating, it’s smart. Seeing what people complain about in reviews? Also smart. Asking your audience what they need? Smart and sexy.
Good research makes every step after this easier. Bad research creates chaos, stress, and you crying in a hoodie at midnight because nothing makes sense. Let’s avoid the hoodie tears.
3. Get painfully clear on what you do and who you do it for
This is the part where most people skip ahead… and then end up crying into their laptop at 2AM because nothing makes sense. Don’t do that. If you want to know how to start a business with no money, start by building a foundation so strong even a TikTok algorithm meltdown can’t shake it.
Ask yourself:
What exactly am I doing?
What problem am I solving?
Who am I talking to?
What are their struggles, fears, and “ugh, why is this so hard?” moments?
How am I actually helping them?
The better you understand your people, the easier everything else becomes. Marketing becomes clearer. Content becomes faster. Selling becomes less “ew, no thanks” and more “omg, this is so me.”
4. Build your digital home (aka your website)
Technically yes — you’ll spend a little money on a website. But in the grand scheme of things, it’s cheaper than your weekly iced latte habit.
And honestly? It’s essential. Social media is chaotic. One day your Reel pops off, the next day Instagram hides it like it owes them rent. If your whole business lives on socials, you’re relying on algorithms that don’t even text you back.
Your website is different. It’s your home. Your space. Your cozy corner of the internet that can sell for you even while you’re asleep, eating pasta, or rewatching your comfort TV show. If you’re learning how to start a business with no money, a simple website with clear messaging is the smartest early investment you’ll ever make.
5. Start networking like you mean it (without being weird about it)
You don’t need ads, funnels, or marketing wizardry at the beginning. You need people. Real people. Potential clients. Business besties. Industry neighbors who might send referrals your way.
Connect with people on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, or wherever your crowd hangs out. Comment like a human, not like a robot who drank too much coffee. Share tips. Start conversations. Collaborate. Offer value.
It takes a village to build a business — so build your village. And be a villager yourself.
Community beats strategy every single time.
6. DIY with AI
As a copywriter, I should tell you to outsource immediately. Hire a designer! Hire a copywriter! Hire a VA! Hire everyone! But babe… we both know your wallet is currently experiencing a character-building phase. So in the beginning, you’ll DIY a lot.
The good news: you have AI now. Even better: AI won’t judge you for asking “umm… how do I write this without sounding like a tax form?”
Use AI to brainstorm, draft, organize, research, create offers and craft content. Use it to speed things up. Use it to get unstuck.
But don’t let it take over! Train it in your voice, give it context, edit everything and stay true to your own vibe. Your brand needs you, not a generic robot who thinks “synergy” is a normal word.
Pssst… Want to make AI actually get you, not just spit out generic fluff?
Help yourself with The Complete Brand Blueprint: a fill‑out file that captures everything about your brand (voice, values, who you help, what you stand for), so you don’t have to type it out every time. Once you add that to ChatGPT (+ the extra prompts you get with the file), suddenly AI starts speaking in your brand’s language.
7. Create simple offers and test them fast
A lot of people overthink this part. They want the perfect offer, the perfect name, the perfect checklist, the perfect color-coded client experience… Stop. Breathe.
Perfection is expensive. Starting is free.
If you want to know how to start a business with no money, here’s the truth: you test your ideas in real time. Create a simple offer. Share it. See who bites. Refine it. Improve it. Deliver great work. Rinse and repeat.
You don’t need a 20-page sales page to make your first dollar, you need clarity and consistency.
8. Talk about your business… A lot
I know. It feels weird. Like you’re shouting “LOOK AT ME” across the internet. But here’s the thing: nobody sees all your posts. Nobody remembers everything you said. People are too busy spiraling over their own stuff.
So talk about what you do. Talk about who you help. Talk about the problems you solve. Talk about your process. Talk about the transformation.
The more you talk, the more people understand what you offer — and the faster your business grows.
9. Start building your email list early
If social media is a flaky situationship, email is your committed healthy relationship. It shows up. It doesn’t ghost you. It doesn’t get jealous when you post on TikTok.
Starting an email list is one of the smartest moves in how to start a business with no money, because it gives you a direct line to your people without algorithms blocking the door.
A simple freebie + a simple nurture sequence = chef’s kiss.
10. Be patient, persistent, and a little delusional (in the best way)
Building a business with no money takes effort. And time. And occasional “omg why am I doing this” moments.
That’s why every business requires a sprinkle of delusion. The healthy kind. The “I know this will work because I’m committed” kind. Not the “I’ll go viral tomorrow” kind.
And honestly? That’s the secret no one talks about.
Want more business tips that don’t make you want to scream into the void?
I share quick wins, real talk, and the occasional “wtf even is this” moments over on Instagram. Come hang out!
