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Could you start an offline business for free?

by PPC-Coach
30 replies
I'll save you the suspense.

NO WAY.

Why on earth do people think they can start a business online without spending a penny? Why do affiliates think they can make money online without spending anything? Why are some people so cheap that they refuse to invest in themselves and their success?

These questions are ones I think I know the answers to, but am interested in what others think as well.
#business #free #offline #start
  • Profile picture of the author Newman8r
    At the least you need a hosting plan and a domain, but beyond that I think it's possible to get away without spending much more. If you can build all of your own links, do your own keyword research, create your own content and build your own website, there's not a lot of other mandatory costs.

    I actually think that for some, this is a good way to get into the industry and learn about it before risking too much. There's definitely a point though where you simply need to invest additional capital in order to keep your progress moving along.
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    • Profile picture of the author trevorhickey
      I would be tough to start an offline company for free, but you could do it for VERY cheap ie. buy an old lawnmower for $25, go door to door for business.
      ie. buy a snow shovel and do the same. ]
      ie. if you know how to develop websites go through the yellow pages and call them looking for business or make a free online ad.

      there are tons of options. Of course you can make more money, faster, if you invest more up front but sometimes you need to go through the learning curve to learn what works and what doesn't before you invest a large sum. I would rather try my hand at a few cheap programs than invest $2,000 and lose it all on something that I would have realized would have never worked had I taken the time to learn it the cheaper way.
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  • Profile picture of the author PPC-Coach
    You can do some things for free, but if you want to make decent money, you need to invest in your business and yourself. I compare it to building a new development or neighborhood. (There's one going up right next door to mine now). The developer is dumping MILLIONS into just getting the services hooked up, the land excavated properly and the streets put in. He's probably already sold individual plots to builders, but those builders have not made a dime YET.

    They will when they sell a plot of land and then build the house on it, but that won't be for at least 12 months from now. That means they're outlaying a lot of dough right now to make a lot down the road.

    Online seems to be a different mindset. Online it seems that we think we can bootstrap anything and everything without paying for traffic or paying for nice sites or paying for programs or scripts or training that will make use way more money down the road.

    What if online marketers thought like offline business owners. How many MORE millionaires online would there be today?

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    • Profile picture of the author Newman8r
      Originally Posted by PPC-Coach View Post

      You can do some things for free, but if you want to make decent money, you need to invest in your business and yourself. I compare it to building a new development or neighborhood. (There's one going up right next door to mine now). The developer is dumping MILLIONS into just getting the services hooked up, the land excavated properly and the streets put in. He's probably already sold individual plots to builders, but those builders have not made a dime YET.

      They will when they sell a plot of land and then build the house on it, but that won't be for at least 12 months from now. That means they're outlaying a lot of dough right now to make a lot down the road.

      Online seems to be a different mindset. Online it seems that we think we can bootstrap anything and everything without paying for traffic or paying for nice sites or paying for programs or scripts or training that will make use way more money down the road.

      What if online marketers thought like offline business owners. How many MORE millionaires online would there be today?
      You're right, if people took that business mindset into IM there would be more success stories. I think the failure rate has just as much to do with inexperience as it does with undercapitalization. At the same time, I personally know that if I spend $8 top register a domain and put it on my hosting, I can get that thing bringing in a few hundred/month within several months, and that's without any additional (cash) investment at all.

      I guess when you talk about investment it could refer to time or money. But I do agree that if you're not willing to invest at least one of those, you're screwed.
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  • Profile picture of the author Yogini
    In the offline forum thread there are a number of threads where people began their business without spending money (aside from perhaps having their own domain and a small website up). For instance, in the Jobless Dad thread, John discussed how he would just contact businesses to interview them for a site he was in the process of putting up and then through building the relationships he gained paid work.

    Others have also started their businesses by giving away a free video, website or article to introduce someone to their work. (This is true both for offline and online businesses). From there people upsell other services or put them on a monthly program to receive additional articles, videos or seo work The cost is one's time initially, but it is a model that works for many.


    Debbie
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    • Profile picture of the author KabirC
      Originally Posted by Yogini View Post

      In the offline forum thread there are a number of threads where people began their business without spending money (aside from perhaps having their own domain and a small website up). For instance, in the Jobless Dad thread, John discussed how he would just contact businesses to interview them for a site he was in the process of putting up and then through building the relationships he gained paid work.

      Others have also started their businesses by giving away a free video, website or article to introduce someone to their work. (This is true both for offline and online businesses). From there people upsell other services or put them on a monthly program to receive additional articles, videos or seo work The cost is one's time initially, but it is a model that works for many.


      Debbie
      If you want an actual business which is LEGALLY registered, there will be a lot of fees...
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  • Profile picture of the author Aaron Doud
    Depends on the business both online and offline but you can start many businesses for very little money. Of course such businesses likely will make you very little as well.

    Offline examples:
    Lawn care and snow removal: If you have a truck and a lawn mower for summer and a snow blower for winter you can get started. But you won't make a load of money but if you needed income after being fired you could do this and during the summer easily make a few hundred a week though the first few weeks would be little money and a lot of drumming up customers.

    Paper Routes: This needs no start up and is another business you can get into fast.

    Resale: You can get started for a few hundred or less though you will have to sell out of your home and likely use craigslist to get customers. eBay will help as well with collectables. You just hit the yardsales on Thurs and fri morning and sat in the afternoon. Also you can dumbster dive for the cost of gas. If you keep track of when pick up days are you can find some good finds.

    But online or offline such businesses will make very little at first and you are leveraging time in exchange for start up cash. Online it is a little easier because you can outscource so much so cheaply.

    But in the end to make money you have to invest time, money, or both into a good idea.
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    • Profile picture of the author DeadGuy
      I get your point, but... Can you start an offline business for free? Absolutely,Yes. Can you successfully run one without operational expense or investment over time? No. Opinions may vary but the same is true in the IM world.
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      You are making this work at home stuff way harder than it is. Ready for some sanity? Clear your head and start over.

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    • Profile picture of the author Azarna
      There are ways to start a legitimate business online for free, or just a couple of dollars.

      I can also think of at least two offlne businesses that can be started for free too.

      Mind you, I can't help thinking that if someone isn't prepared to invest a single penny in their 'great business idea' then they clearly have no faith in it... and if they don't believe in it then why should their customers?
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  • Profile picture of the author Jim X
    You speak the truth my friend!

    The reason, I believe, people don't want to invest any money to make money online comes down to not understanding the process. And I don't blame them. I can say from personal experience that when I first started, I was reluctant to spend any money because I didn't know how things worked.

    Once I finally understood the basics, I was much more willing to invest in my success.

    Going with your analogy of the builders, they know that their efforts will be rewarded. Why? Because they know all about the business they are in. So they know if they do certain things, certain other things will happen. Namely, making money.

    Most people don't know where to start. I didn't. And I'm sure most people reading this can relate to being in the dark for a while when it comes to this business.

    Having said all of that, if someone understands what it takes to make money online and still insists on not spending any money, they are in the wrong business. They would be better off getting a job somewhere.........Wait, no. That would mean they'd need to drive which takes gas which costs (a lot of) money. So that's off the table. Those people would be better off wishing for money in one hand and crapping in the other and see which one fills up faster. (sorry for the image)

    The way I see it is building a business on the internet is the cheapest way of starting a business out there. If somebody understands what it takes and is willing to do what's necessary to be successful (yes, that includes but is not limited to investing money), they will be on their way to creating a business that will pay them dividends for years.

    All the best,
    James
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Could you start an offline business for free? If you define free as "no monetary investment", then the answer is yes. I know people who have done it.

      Could you start an online business for free? Using the same definition of 'free', the answer is still yes.

      The secret of doing so is understanding both scale and repetition.

      Take your developer neighbor. Did he start his business by investing millions in infrastructure for a full scale development? I'd be amazed if he did.

      The person I know, that I mentioned above, started his landscaping business with absolutely nothing. He knocked on doors in his neighborhood asking if he could mow lawns, rake leaves, scoop snow or dig gardens, depending on the season. If he got a 'yes', his next question was whether the homeowner had the requisite tools he could borrow, as his were not available (mainly because he didn't own any). For a year, he did amazing work for relatively low prices since he was borrowing their own equipment. He did this for a year.

      As he worked, he reinvested some of his earnings in bus fare to better neighborhoods, where he could command better fees.

      The next year, he accumulated a second-hand lawn mower, a snow blower and some basic yard and garden tools. He hauled them around in a junky van that he got cheap from the utility company.

      Fast forward a few years, and he now has half a dozen crews in shiny trucks working in some of the best areas on annual contracts.

      He knew scale and iteration. He started small, reinvested part of his earnings, and repeated the process on a slightly bigger scale.

      This model is also available online. It takes patience, discipline and hard work, but it can be done.

      To be fair, though, investing some money upfront means you can start bigger in the beginning and scale things more quickly.
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  • Profile picture of the author EugeneA
    Get this straight: You can start an online business without spending a single penny.

    If you want your business to do well, then you will need to invest.
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  • Profile picture of the author DianaHeuser
    Originally Posted by PPC-Coach View Post

    Why are some people so cheap that they refuse to invest in themselves and their success?
    For me that is not the truth. I am prepared to invest in my business and my success but I just don't have the extra cash flow at the moment.

    So what I have done so far to bootstrap this business of mine is do some writing jobs and get paid for them. It all goes straight back into my business.

    The other only asset I have is time, so yes, it will take me longer than those with spare operational capital but I absolutely promise you that I will get there on a very frugal budget.

    Di
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    • Profile picture of the author AdwordsMogul
      Originally Posted by DianaHeuser View Post

      ...
      The other only asset I have is time, so yes, it will take me longer than those with spare operational capital but I absolutely promise you that I will get there on a very frugal budget.

      Di
      Due to my own negligence, I've gotten myself into a position similar to yours...

      however....

      you may want to do several short term ventures in order to inject some capital.

      The smart thing to do is to get cash flowing as fast as you possibly can. You may prove a point by working low budget but you won't win a price for that.
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      • Profile picture of the author DianaHeuser
        Originally Posted by AdwordsMogul View Post

        you may want to do several short term ventures in order to inject some capital.

        The smart thing to do is to get cash flowing as fast as you possibly can. You may prove a point by working low budget but you won't win a price for that.
        It's not about proving a point It's about my current situation as it stands at the moment. That's why I do the writing - to bring in some cash flow.

        Di
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        • Profile picture of the author ShayB
          Of course you can start an offline biz for free.

          Is it the ideal way? No. But it can be done.

          You just need to make sure you reinvest your profits once you start making them so you can grow faster.
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  • Profile picture of the author AdwordsMogul
    Start, yes you can.

    But you will need to keep investing time and money to improve results.

    It also depends on your business model, expected returns etc.
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  • Profile picture of the author digichik
    Originally Posted by PPC-Coach View Post

    I'll save you the suspense.

    NO WAY.

    Why on earth do people think they can start a business online without spending a penny? Why do affiliates think they can make money online without spending anything? Why are some people so cheap that they refuse to invest in themselves and their success?

    These questions are ones I think I know the answers to, but am interested in what others think as well.
    In many cases it's not that people are too cheap to invest in themselves and their success, it's simply they don't have the money to invest!

    In case you haven't noticed there is a world wide depression going on and people are looking for ways to survive. Many are barely feeding themselves and their families, while at the same time they are looking for ways to earn money. Many would love to be able to invest $17.00 to have articles written, backlinks done, or social bookmarks added for their business; however, that $17.00 will feed their children a day or two more.

    People have to make really difficult choices now and many only have time to invest.

    Perhaps we shouldn't be so quick to write them off as cheap, perhaps we should offer them a bit of inspiration and hope.

    Starting an online business for no money or very little money is not easy, it can be done, but it's is getting more difficult every day.
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  • Profile picture of the author J Bold
    I agree that it's not always that people are cheap, it's that they are struggling and desperate and don't feel they can invest even $20 sometimes such as on putting up a warrior for hire, thread.

    If people get caught in the cycle, however, of just money in, money out, because they aren't making enough extra to invest after using the money they earn to simply stay alive, they cannot grow and prosper and scale.

    People like to buy into the dream without realizing it's going to take sacrifice and to reinvest what you make into building a solid business.

    But it's true, people sometimes think the riches online come easy and with just free methods.

    Obviously, having money to invest can get you there much quicker.

    I do agree with the OP about mindset, but I think it's still possible to start for free, as there's success stories who did start with nothing to invest, both online and offline.

    But I agree there has to be that point where, as long as they can pay for housing and food and other necessary bills, they need to say, "Ok, what can we invest in now to grow this business faster with the extra money I have?"
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  • Profile picture of the author bwh1
    If your time isn't worth a cent - yes.

    Seriously, no way you can start any business without to invest something into it.

    And remember, if you come over to a client looking "cheap", your prices do as well have to be "cheap".

    Experienced marketers know, it's all about POSITIONING. Can't be done without $$.

    G.
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  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
    Banned
    It's actually pretty easy to start an offline business with very little investment in cash. With computer equipment that I already owned, I offered local graphic design and resume writing services before I switched to online marketing.

    So a service based or consulting based company has considerably less need for a big wad of start-up cash.

    That being said, I invest in any and all tools that I need for my online businesses.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rob Howard
    All good responses, but I think that the reason we see this attitude so prevalent has little to do with people being "cheap".

    Most people who complain about costs are not wanting a business. Most of these people want to make money online.

    The word "business" is scary. Most of these people either think of:

    - The guy who owns that pizza shop who works his ass off 16 hours a day and makes nothing for it.

    OR

    - Businesses like Apple, Microsoft, and other large, popular corporations.

    In the first aspect - it's all WORK. Hard work. And little rewards. And responsibility. The people who complain about not wanting to spend money tend to think about business in this regard.

    The next - people think they are incapable of creating the next Apple, or Exxon, or Nike, or...because these corporations had backing, funding, and a lot of luck that they don't have.

    In their mind, only these two examples are "businesses". So if you suggest "invest in your business" - the next response is "I don't want a business. I just want to make money easily".

    Rob
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    • Profile picture of the author bwh1
      Originally Posted by ccmusicman View Post


      Most people who complain about costs are not wanting a business. Most of these people want to make money online.

      Rob
      Spot on

      And all the "easy money" claims just make that worse

      Who wanna work and build a business if you can push 4 buttons on a laptop and have a Jet Set life drinking Cuba Libres at a beach in Barbados.

      G.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jim X
      Originally Posted by ccmusicman View Post

      Most people who complain about costs are not wanting a business. Most of these people want to make money online.

      The word "business" is scary.

      In their mind, only these two examples are "businesses". So if you suggest "invest in your business" - the next response is "I don't want a business. I just want to make money easily".

      Rob
      That is a really good point, Rob. Most people don't want an actual business. That would mean work. And maintaining the business.

      Everybody wants a quick fix. But I think that the people looking for the quick fix will probably never find it. Meanwhile, on a beach in the Bahamas, the people who took time to build a business are enjoying a nice day in the sun.

      Having a business, or even just doing the things necessary to make a lot of money, means more responsibility. Some people just aren't ready for that. Very interesting.

      James
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  • Profile picture of the author Fazal Mayar
    You are right, first off, an online business doesnt even require capital. Heck, some people have made affiliate commissions signing up for forums for FREE. Online businesses dont cost a lot and this what people need to realize
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    • Profile picture of the author VanessaB
      PPC-Coach,
      I've read one of your books, and I can tell you that the stuff in it is what's missing in almost every 'make money' product available, save for some of the expensive ones.

      And it's the lessons in statistics. Where to find the ones you need to start, how to process and analyze them, and how to use them for projections.

      *If you can do this, you can actually choose a model that will begin covering it's own operational costs (including your own salary as considered in the financial plan section of the business plan) in it's first month. I've only ever seen two products that teach this.

      And I admit, for many, it's not an easy skill set to even try to learn, let alone master... It can be intimidating, and it's definitely college level advanced mathematics. Which is why it's so intimidating to this market's consumer base...

      All low cost of entry, low barrier of entry industries attract the 'hero story method, technique, tactic and strategy' worshippers as the vast majority of the consumer base.

      They're addicted to the hero stories of "I did it without... (money, experience, education, business, list, product, JV partner, affiliate, etc etc...)" because they are so much 'without' so many, if not all, of those things. Those are what they 'relate' to, so that's what it is served to them.

      They won't relate to "Analyze Your Way To Wealth," and won't buy it because they won't relate to it.

      And since the market buys the 'hero stories', new heroes are created, who also don't know this stuff, and therefore don't teach it... and the majority of the products are the 'hero stories.'

      -Dani
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  • Profile picture of the author Jeremy Bratcher
    You are 100% right about needing money to start virtually any offline business.

    However, I disagree about needing to spend money to earn money online. I have used several different methods which earned me significant amount of money for literally no investment.

    You can have pages rank very high in search engines without having your own domain or hosting.
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    “The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” – Ayn Rand
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  • Profile picture of the author MattVit
    Yes. You can.
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    • Profile picture of the author Daniel Evans
      It's absolutely possible.

      Online and offline.
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      • Profile picture of the author MattVit
        Originally Posted by webcore View Post

        It's absolutely possible.

        Online and offline.
        Exactly.

        I mean, define 'free'. As a child, I remember going around the neighbourhood picking flowers with my little brother. We brought them home, dragged a table to the side walk and sold them bundled for a dollar! I don't remember how much we 'made', but hey, that's an offline business started for free!!


        (I didn't know how to make lemonade obviously..!)
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