How Much Does it Cost to Start an On-line Business

If your excuse for not starting an on-line business is that you think it takes tons of money, you’ll be glad to hear that’s not true. You don’t have to liquidate your retirement savings, borrow from the in-laws, raid your college savings plan, or even break into your pre-schooler’s piggy bank.

You can get start your own on-line business for as little as $10. There goes your “I don’t have enough money” excuse!

Forget what you might have heard and what you think you know. Especially the conventional wisdom that says “if you’re not willing to invest in your business nobody will want to buy your products or services.” Sometimes that gets translated to “no risk, no reward.”

That’s not wise and it’s simply not true. It’s a bunch of baloney. How does it make sense to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars before making your first sale? Instead, why not spend a few dollars to test an idea and evaluate the market before emptying your wallet and bank account?

You don’t have to be a super risk-adverse Taurus like me for that to make sense.

To start an on-line business,

• you don’t need a ton of money
• you don’t need a fancy web site
• you don’t need expensive software
• you don’t need “traditional” advertising
• you don’t even need your own products

Warning: I’m not saying you won’t have to work or that you’ll make a huge profit right away. I’m saying it can be quick and easy to get started. And starting is the key.

One of the well-known characteristics of financially successful people is that they use other people’s money to leverage their efforts. With an on-line business you can use other people’s products (and services). It’s called affiliate marketing.

Here’s what you will need to begin

• a web site name (officially known as a domain name; typical cost is under $10/year)
• a service to make your web site visible on the Internet (officially known as web hosting; you can get your first month’s service from a top-notch hosting company for a penny)

That’s it. Got another excuse for not getting started?

Note: This money-saving, low-risk way of getting on-line works equally as well for not-for-profit groups, clubs, neighborhood associations, and other volunteer-led organizations.