Best way to get started if you have $0?

Thank I never came across iwriter.com will check them out, hopefully ma article will be good enough for them.

So true - I'm already regretting staring this thread

Thanks all for fast responses so far!

I've considered starting a blog, but when it comes down to it I honestly don't think I'm creative enough to generate quality content. Because of this working more on domain trading appeals a lot more to me.

I'm also really interested in getting in on the affiliate marketing action, but I'm not 100% sure how people go about this with the absence of a blog etc.

I guess a different way of saying that is, how can I get into affiliate marketing without having to create blog-like-content?

Thanks again all, every post is appreciated!

Thanks again for more replies

I've been searching around a lot! The more I read the more I realize that IM is way way WAY bigger than what the uninitiated realize. In fact it's so big that it's almost overwhelming! After doing a lot of reading I narrow down an idea I think I might be able to pull off, then I do more reading and get put off it for whatever reason.

There's nothing to regret, you'll get a lot of cliche and cheeky comments but it's a fair question - though it has been asked many times before - that could help others as well.

There are really only two distinct ways to make money using the internet. Sell something you own, or sell something for someone else. This includes advertising, affiliate linking, cost per action (CPA)...etc.

There are a few ways to make sales without a website but don't be afraid of websites. If you don't know anything about how to build a website you can buy them turnkey ready to go with pre-loaded content that will show you how to create unique content by example. The articles you get on pre-made sites are usually filled with content that's not exactly unique but it'll get you started and you can remove and replace the standard content with your own as you go along. It's quite fun.

Then you have to go out into the internet and place your link around the place (using many and various methods which you'll discover when you search through this forum) so people can click on it and visit your site. On your site you'll have material relevant to what they're looking for and will subtely suggest a few commercial solutions.

This works and has worked from day one and will continue to work because people want info. It's not fast (though it can be) and it's not going to make you too much in the start (though it certainly can) but it's a way for you to slowly learn this new craft. Eventually you'll become successful because you helped enough people. Keep that in mind (helping people) and you'll be on the right track.

Finding which topic to pursue can be a chore or a pleasure. Be careful of using your passion to start a site though. You run the risk of corrupting your passion and failing because not enough other people are hungry for your passion. It can be a good easy way to start though because you know the topic and will find it easy to make short relevant posts.

You could also do it the (what some people call) smart way and do some research into what people are buying now and build a site with a theme based on that topic. This (I think obviously) is going to be a faster way forward because you're moving into a buzzing scene instead of tapping people on the shoulder and asking them to please come and visit your site.

Once you get warm hands and can feel traffic coming and buying you can build on that experience and keep driving more and more traffic or (if it's a "flop") use your new knowledge to go after a better audience.

Don't think of this as something that has to be done today, right now, this evening or tomorrow or next week or even this month. Think of it as something you do from now on and just settle into a routine or habit of taking good solid sensible steps.

It is possible (despite what too many people think) to make thousands very fast but it generally doesn't happen right off the bat with someone as new as you (though it certainly can). Just be grateful that we have this fantastic internet that allows anyone to ply their wares for free. It's possible to make money starting from scratch for free (or very cheap), it'll just take you a little longer.

I encourage you to make it a habit of expecting success and make sure you define what success means to you. If you learn one new thing or confirm something you already knew...that's success. One single sale is a success. One more new and unique visitor is success. It's all success. Even you taking the initiative to start this thread - success!

If you're not working on your new (and exciting but lonely) website you can feel ok just reading up and absorbing information. There's a lot of good free (or cheap) information around and remember, there's really no time wasted learning or experiencing. Any step is a good step. If it takes you off on a tangent that fizzled out or circled back at least you got some exercise. Right?

This ^ you can get started extremely cheap but a little extra cash can go a long way to making you some real money. For example I shoveled driveways, sold stuff on eBay and reffed hockey to make some extra money to help pay for basic stuff like domains, hosting and an autoresponder

I've read some great responses on this post that I myself could use. However, being that I've literally had $0 last month and now I have $200 and counting I think my advice would be the most beneficial to someone with absolutely nothing being that I've been there plenty of times.

1. LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES

If you've had money before and constantly keep going broke than what are you doing to stay in that trapped position of not having money? Write down everything and anyone that is a liability and do what you personally feel is necessary to make an improvement.

2. It has been mentioned before on this post, but it works, which is find a niche that you are passionate about and offer it to someone that is seeking your services. Sites such as fivver.com, elance, and a new one I just came across called thumbtack are all great places to start (This is actually how I gained income recently). I learned how to do radio production in college using software such as Adobe Audition. There are plenty of people who need my services to edit and produce for their podcast, radio shows, blogs, etc. I'm currently using my skill to make money while I invest it back into Internet Marketing which brings me to #3.

3 Invest the money you make back into your business. This is actually the most important because as the saying goes "It takes money to make money." Put aside the money you've made to put towards your daily expenses (food, rent, car payments, phone, etc) then what you have left over, use that to invest into your business. And if you do not have enough at the time, continue to save up to how much it would cost to get started.

4. Try some online referral IFW programs such as Project Payday. Although most of these are scams, some of them do pay you quick cash for signing up to websites that have trial versions. Once you sign up, cancel your trial membership immediately so you won't get billed after your trial membership is up unless you want to continue using the site you signed up for. After you've completed so many sites, you'll earn a quick $50 for doing so. I've personally done this as well and was actually surprised to see $50 in my Paypal account just for signing up to websites.

However, this way of making easy money can be beneficial to someone with nothing, but it also can be nerve wrecking as well especially the referral part of getting people to sign up by sharing your referral link which is prohibited on almost every website you can imagine including Facebook, twitter, craigslist, and this forum (which is why I didn't share my referral link).

Hope this helps especially being I've been in that position plenty of times and as recently as the early part of last month. Feel free to send me a message if you want my referral link to sign up to my IFW account.

5 years ago, I literally had nothing. Not even a computer. Not even a HOME.

I began my quest towards a sustainable income by first beefing up my resume with pro bono writing work; on the surface, I knew my work was worth money, yet I knew that money would have to wait.

Next, I began helping a nationally renowned coupon clipping wizard develop her website - from the library at 2 hours per day. In exchange for that, she purchased me a laptop and had it sent Site to Store to my Walmart. From there, she paid me a $250 a week stipend to help promote her site/add content.

I saved 4 week's worth of paychecks and continued sleeping under a quiet bridge.

I was then able to pay for a studio apartment (including damage deposit) and get some food. I paid my studio apartment rent each month, bought the bare minimum groceries and purchased an Elance membership.

At first, I didn't exactly 'take off' on Elance. First month I made $900. But it was the outside work that I was able to get by posting ads for link building and content writing in paid areas (Backpage, for one) that helped supplement my initially poor income.

Since September, 2010, I've made about $194,000 (give or take) online. Yeah, not exactly 'riches', but my goal wasn't 'getting rich'. I wanted an income, sustainability and the opportunity to grow with digital marketing trends...and I have. I've been able to take a loan out for my 2012 VW Jetta (bought in 2012 with 22 miles on it), pay off debt, go on several vacations and many extended road trips, feed myself and now beautiful fiancee, and have done more than I thought possible...

...and I started out homeless.

Three keys to getting from where you are to where you want to be:

1. Know your strengths and weaknesses - don't try to perform work you know isn't within your skillset.
2. Start small - working for peanuts doesn't sound appeasing, yet you cannot expect clients to pay you Ribeye prices when your resume resembles a hamburger.
3. Price your services fairly - just because you have the knowledge to complete the task, it doesn't mean clients should suffer your wrath price-wise. Fair prices equal repeat work and good rapport; extraneous pricing leads to rejected bids.

Remember where you came from; if someone helps you navigate the road to freelance success, pay it forward.

Firstly, it can definitely be done. Without money it will take longer,but as long as you have time you can be successful.

There are lots of methods you can utilise. Do some research and pick ONE that you can actually see yourself doing. Then totally stop thinking about any other method and focus on this one method,keep going until you make it work. Don't get distracted by other possible methods. This is critical otherwise you will constantly be looking for another method and never actually implement anything.

Some suggestions;

Article Writing
Fiver Gigs - something simple such as forum commenting
Product review site with traffic coming from blogs and forums
Simple tasks on platforms such as Mechanical Turk

Yeah I agree with you.
I started making reasonable money with $0 investment on fiverr.

Just recently I opened another account on fiverr, I'm yet to make sales though but I know definitely I'll start getting sales. My gigs are all about writing.
Here's my profile just in case.. fiverr.com/nicole_wright

Wow! That's possibly the most powerful thread I've read on here in a very long time.

Clearly false as proven by the thread above (and the experience of many others who started with nothing. Libraries have computers and last time I checked they don't charge anything to enter a public library.