If you had NO money how would you start

[PeterKnight]

What I would do? I would start with a detailed assessment that breaks down each every asset and liability that I have. Not just financials, but everything else. On the assets list, I'm thinking skills, knowledge, tools, habits, interests, contacts. In terms of liabilities, I'm also thinking of bad habits, relationships that are in the way of creating a better life etc, bad contracts, responsibilities.


Next I would get as clear as possible on what I want to create on the long term. Whatever action is taken in the short term can then more powerfully and purposely be directed in the right direction.


There's so much that can be done without spending a penny. I think it's important to think 2, 3 steps down the line. What assets are going to be important to have? What kinds of relationships would you need to start building, what kind of habits are going to be important, what knowledge would you have to acquire, what skills would you benefit from learning?


From there it's far easier to think of things you can do right now that will give you returns in the future. For example Robert Greene talks a lot becoming an apprentice (his book about mastery) to someone who's very skilled in the area that you are interested in. Exchange your time and effort with that person in exchange for the experience, skills and potential contacts that you get in return.


Getting lean is just as important and that means lowering unessential liabilities, i.e. you can change bad habits for free, you can address bad time management practices for free, you can almost always get rid of some more outgoing costs that are not essential.
Lastly, as time is the most precious resource we have, it goes without saying that learning how to spend it more fruitfully is a top priority skill and anybody can get better on that, budget or not.


Bottom line, if you don't have a clear idea of your assets/liabilities and how you need to transform those, any action you take is going to feel haphazard, and while it's great to be scrappy, hustle etc, it's also easy to perpetually go round in circles in a constant state of 'getting by' with a lot of effort.

[Woodward82]

Originally Posted by todawg_not

What is ridiculous question.

Go find a job.

That's why you have no money because you treat this like a hobby not a real business.

Your not willing to invest in tools and education when your always wanting things for free

There you go you want the truth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j2F4VcBmeo

Comments like this just mean that you didnt take the time to read the original post Hope you arent running your online business and treating your customers this way. Cheers

[MikeTucker]

Originally Posted by ronrule

I would put on my Batman suit and stand on the street corner with a cardboard sign that says "Need gas money for batmobile"

Made $35 in an hour doing that on a dare once. True story.

Originally Posted by ronrule

Batman has no limits.

I'm sorry but this is a terrible idea. Nobody is going to buy it.
Everybody knows that Batman is not a real superhero, and his
only "power" is that he is already rich.

You would just be seen for the fraud that you are.


(Also, everybody knows that $35 is barely enough to get you a
down-payment on a gallon of gas, so what do you really want
that money for, hmmm?)

[butterballs8]

I started off selling my services on Craigslist. If you are good at something. Ie: designing logos, websites, therapy, cleaning, plumbing etc.

Assemble Ikea furniture, Painting, lawn mowing, moving, throw out junk..etc

Its free to post on Craigslist and only takes 2 minutes. Easy and free!

[pappunsu]

Sell your skills on:

1. Fiverr
2. Odesk
3. Elance
4. Freelancer
5. Do Uploading on File Hosts.

[ronrule]

Originally Posted by MikeTucker

I'm sorry but this is a terrible idea. Nobody is going to buy it.
Everybody knows that Batman is not a real superhero, and his
only "power" is that he is already rich.

You would just be seen for the fraud that you are.


(Also, everybody knows that $35 is barely enough to get you a
down-payment on a gallon of gas, so what do you really want
that money for, hmmm?)

Hockey pants. Because right now, I'm not wearing them.

[Allan_Gardyne]

I have some first-hand experience.

In 1996 I had a job (part-time) and a mortgage, and very little spare cash after paying hundreds of dollars a month in toll calls to get on the Internet, so I was trying to do everything else free.

I attended free night classes to learn basic computer skills.

I followed the instructions in a two-page article in a computer magazine and built a simple website using free Notepad.

I got it hosted online using free space provided by my ISP.

I wrote a recipe book using free software, I used free tactics to promote the site. Later, I promoted other people's products and earned affiliate commissions. Still do!

But I wasted MANY months fiddling about and experimenting, learning from my mistakes.

You are SO fortunate today, to have so many choices of free things you can use - Blogger, Hub pages, Squidoo, Facebook, AdSense, etc. None of them existed when I started and still didn't when I got to the stage of going full-time in Internet marketing.

But if you try to do everything free you're likely to do what I did - waste a lot of time.

I recommend you look for something to sell, or ways to cut your expenses, or another job, or some way to scrape together some extra dollars and buy education.

It's very useful getting stuck in and doing stuff and learning from mistakes, but good education and good tools will save you a LOT of time, especially if you combine them with an examination of your strengths and interests, so you design your own business based on your strengths.

Your own determination to succeed is the most important asset you need.

[Alan Eight]

I would build a portfolio of Squidoo lenses across different niches/products etc.

You will find which markets you can connect with and learn what products or services that those potential future customers of yours are interested in buying..... and make some start-up money along the way.... and probably several lenses that will be very good earners.

Those lenses will also give you the 'real' keywords that your chosen niches search for that the 'keyword tools' just don't give you.

Squidoo allows you to do REAL market research absolutely for FREE. It will only cost you your time;0)

[TonyG23]

I would start with Squidoo and affiliate products. Learn SEO and how to market and go from there.

[sirtiman]

Joint venture with other with same interests. That will solved your no money to start in action.

[IMSince2003]

For testing ideas, Squidoo, HubPages and Amazon.com. Find hot products (just sort by best sellers in each category) and write something interesting about those products. A dry, rehashed review will get you nowhere, so don't do that. Give people something interesting that will motivate them to share your content and you'll be on your way. Jump start this effort by going to oDesk and get a capable author to do this for you while you work your day job. Good luck to you.

[Newbieee]

Originally Posted by pappunsu

Sell your skills on:

1. Fiverr
2. Odesk
3. Elance
4. Freelancer
5. Do Uploading on File Hosts.

Hi there..

I see lots of people saying do work on this sites etc.
Do freelance, work for people.

All this is good.
Idealistic on paper. [again not saying its not possible, but it aint that easy, and sometimes it aint free]

1. You got to have a skill that people wants/value that are willing to pay.
I for one have no skill that i think people will want to pay, i only have business ideas, that puts me in the category of hiring ppl to outsource my work, not doing the work.
So if i were to start of back then, with no money to spare. Freelancing wouldnt be the way.

2. Sometimes its not free. Yes its free to get started, but sometimes u need to invest some cash to give you a headstart.
-For example, u go to those freelance websites, get a free account, some make you pay to increase your bid amount so you can bid on more projects.
-You start off as a new guy, new squicky clean account, no reviews, no past transaction records, basic free account. Do you think u will go far or at least have a fast start initially?
[maybe last time, but now its very saturated and crowded in the freelance world, you got to stand out to even be considered.]

3. So if you decide to have a profile or website to be more professional, what ppl do is they bid on projects then they put a link to their own website. So you can see their personal/company webpage to do more research on them.
YOu aint gonna look professional with a free website.
So with your own website, you are gonna incur domain cost, hosting cost etc.

Still think its easy to do free?
Well at least not the freelance way now. IMHO though

[Auctiondebteliminator]

There is another thread about this as well - people reading this might find it compelling:

How to start with NO money. (P.S. you might need to get off the couch for this one)

ADE

[MartinPlatt]

Services are always a good way to start, however you'd want to quickly get the website up and running, as you'd be developing your brand and reputation, and need a home for that.

If that doesn't work, buy a magic button, and click it.

[Newbieee]

Originally Posted by MartinPlatt

Services are always a good way to start, however you'd want to quickly get the website up and running, as you'd be developing your brand and reputation, and need a home for that.

Exactly.

Originally Posted by MartinPlatt

If that doesn't work, buy a magic button, and click it.

lol, i laughed. THanks for the humor

[Newbieee]

Originally Posted by DonnyBoy

If you want to start with zero and earn something in online world... Please offer your services on any of the following sites and get paid for your services instantly :

1- www.elance.com
2- Freelancer.com - Hire Freelancers & Find Freelance Jobs Online
3- www.odesk.com

Hope this will help you a lot in making money in Online world without spending a dime

I doubt it would be instantly.

[samebed]

The best thing you can do is use fivver, elancer, textbroker, or the warrior forum services for sale section, using whatever skills you have, to build up some capital to put into your "long term" projects.

That's how I did it, and i wasn't angry anymore for spending money I didn't have on methods or coaching.

[researchpro]

Find the most successful site from a person (not a company) and copy them except for your own subject. John Chow(that's not me) comes to mind, or frank kern. He's got lots of vids you can get ideas from.
And when you figure it out, let me know too.
john

[Heart Cardio]

I would offer your services online. There are many great places that you can set up gigs. Try on here or use fiverr, or you could try SEOclerks. I have used SEOclerks and it is a great place to make some decent money off of. Take this money and save it for what you need it for.

[higherluv]

Originally Posted by Malcolm Thomas

Get A Job!

Originally Posted by todawg_not

What is ridiculous question.

Go find a job.

That's why you have no money because you treat this like a hobby not a real business.

Your not willing to invest in tools and education when your always wanting things for free

There you go you want the truth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j2F4VcBmeo

Well, if you truthfully had no money then it would be crazy not to get a job.

But the OP also said:

If someone were to be saving money but wanted a jump start on getting some content , customer report , and just a jump start before they went and got the domain name and hosting, what would you suggest?

Then it’s also a matter, while you work at your job, to learn the proper ropes - this is where getting a good mentor comes in. 98% of those who fail do because they don’t have one.

By learning what to do, and avoiding what not to do, from a good mentor, then you will not have to worry about working at the job for long!

[winagain]

After reading some answers, I also think the best option would be to get a job so you have some money and don' starve!

then, start whatever fancies you on internet marketing.

[successproducts]

I would recommend you start a list - build a squeeze page - do whatever you can to bring traffic to it - give out quality information - swap ad to build it up - you don't even have to create products or shelve out big expenses. A domain costs 10 bucks, web hosting is free in some cases. This is how you make money on line period. I know IM is full of people who are more experts than you and know more of everything but if you remember correctly we were once those people who buys every shiny object out there. Why not IM niche? You know the story about Empower Network -- everybody is having the same freaking blog and under the same main URL yet they manage to make boat loads of money -- how? they have a video that converts - rag to riches story that sounds believable.

I am not saying you must lie - but IM niche is ever green and all that you need to start is a list. Do it.

[neralu]

Well, we are getting a mixed feeling in this thread... It is still possible to make decent amount of income without any investment to start with...

This is how my journey in IM was:
Spent 3 years not making a single penny initially...
Then i started with fiverr... Spent good amount of time working on orders and delivering them with correct quality and time..
With that, i was able to get the gig to achieve 100% rating and moved to Level 2 very soon... I had days, where i had to pause my gigs to cater the kind of orders that i was getting...
What i did was, i started investing the money which i made in fiverr in starting up other services... like seo services..PPC services etc..
Today I have around 20+ people working in my company and I do lot of money with PPC as well...
I would say... if you have not made any money yet.. Then suggest you to start with fiverr.. use this generated money to invest in your passionate areas of your interest...Dont get taken out by comments which will discourage you...
Without investment, it would take time...Who cares....At the end of the day ... I made money with less risk... thats all matters!!!
if any one need help about strategy or how it can be accomplished.. I am just a PM away

[onlineexperts]

I initially started off with a loan from the bank....luckily flipped it 3 times over in 8 weeks. Alternatively, without taking any risks, offer your services like others have said within the likes of Fiverr, the forum etc. If you've got a job and don't have time to fulfill your clients request...go to Odesk etc to gain some connections, be the middleman and outsource your clients work.

[milla04]

A lot of people have mentioned get a job, start a service which is a good option. There is a program where someone can buy you in so you can test drive it for 30 days and make money while you are testing it out. If you dont make money you have not lost anything, if you do then brill. The only drawback is, in order to get bought in you have to live in the US or Canada. I have bought a few people in to help them out.

hope this helps

[certahub]

Originally Posted by imacyrayy

If you are very good at writing you could make a lot of money. I personally spend close to $300 on freelancers monthly. Become a freelancer.

But don't use freelancer.com, they are crooks.

[certahub]

Originally Posted by katkat999

I started working on oDesk.. that's where I started my career... from nothing to getting a stable career...

I use oDesk and GAC now that scriptlance sold out.

[Gonzosan]

Originally Posted by ronrule

I would put on my Batman suit and stand on the street corner with a cardboard sign that says "Need gas money for batmobile"

Made $35 in an hour doing that on a dare once. True story.

lol. I live in Vegas so that might be a profitable side business on the strip.

[Ernies]

I would definitively start with Fiverr, it was the way I first made my hundred dollars and it is a great way to meet clients and start doing freelance work then investing in other ventures.

[betterwtveter]

Become a free affiliate to a website that will sell products that will benefit a particular niche. I would say weight loss. Participate in popular weight loss forums with your affiliate link in the signature box and make some sales.

[jchengery]

Hello Woodward 82,

I agree that the Warrior Forum, and that one thread in particular, are great places to start. I also agree with promoting your services- whether it's Fiverr and other related sites, article writing sites like iWriter.com and similar sites, promoting your services on your own blog via Blogger and WordPress.org.

Additionally, you could get some free PLR, do some online research, and try to rewrite those PLR products to be more relevant and useful to today's marketplace. Provided you can make at least a little money via article writing and/or Fiverr gigs, etc., you could have a decent cover made via a Fiverr gig (or do it yourself if you have a software cover program already).

You could then begin giving that away for free to build a list. You then could create some more of these PLR products through online research and rewriting and sell them cheaply to gain more money. You could even create some upsells to try to make two or more sales from one customer at a time.

Over time, you can build some money where you can invest in better PLR products, as well as eventually hire your own writers to write for you. You could also advertise your PLR products and rewriting services in other locations, such as at the Warrior Forum, etc.

This would, hopefully, get you off to a good start. You have to start somewhere, and you're not likely to get rich right away, but if you plant the seeds, they can keep growing and propelling you to bigger and better riches and rewards.

Hope this helps!

Take care,

Joe Chengery

[Seemore25101]

I started out with ZERO cash! I used webs.com for my first site so I put it all together. Made all the content and put the videos on the site, had every single detail ready before I got the money to buy a domain name. This was when I knew very very little about affiliate marketing, I was just testing to see if it is actually possible to make some money online.

From what I've been reading, it's all about Wordpress. I have yet to use Wordpress though but I will for all my future niches!

[jentheray]

Whatever you skills have, use them! There are a lot of people out there who are willing to pay money to people who are willing to perform simple tasks they could do themselves but would rather not do--or they don't have the time to waste. If you have any experience with photoshop, video editing, etc., the opportunities are literally endless. You don't have to have money, you have to be willing to treat IM like the legitimate business opportunity that it is. The information that we all use to make money is out there for free online, but sadly most people don't have the drive to go out and get it. All it takes it drive and research. Just get to work, nothing is stopping you but you! Take the leap of faith...you can do it!

[MartinPlatt]

Services, or if you have absolutely no money, go and get a paper round to earn you some money, then spend it to invest in your business.

Free still costs, and takes a lot longer. Better to invest and get results sooner...

[SasheSasha]

I'd say the best thing to do is sell whatever you are good at. If you can write articles do that, if you can make headers do that. You've got skils even if it's just being able to type.

[celente]

1) Busk for some money, or strip

2) Go get aweber autoresponder

3) build squeeze page on cheap hosting

4) spend all day driving free traffic to squeeze page.

Sounds easy but not as easy as some, and this is a activity that could make you $1000 or even $10000 in a several months, then upscale and outsource the traffic.

[michael bury]

thanks for some really great ideas, I have been scratching around the IM business since 2009, made a small amount of cash but outgoings are greater. However we have upped our game & signed up to a mentorship.......accountability.
In answer to the original post I would suggest their are hundreds of opportunities to make cash & if you've no cash well offer your services, we all have unique knowledge which we take for granted, people will pay for that.
Secondly, take action, whatever it is the only way forward is to do something.....whatever that is, it's got to be positive.

[michael bury]

Sorry forgot to mention, am actually producing our first product which will be launched in the next few weeks, primary goal is to be a list :-)