We know it takes money to make money but how do you build your business when you don’t have a lot of money? Growing up I knew very few business owners. My parents had side hustles but they also had the military to fall back on. 
Owning a business w/ a FT job is very different from owning a business without one. Click To Tweet

Recent studies have shown that more and more individuals are starting their own business. There are 27 million entrepreneurs in the United States.

If you want to become one of the 27 million people who owns a business but don’t think you have the financial capital to get you want, you might be wrong. While some businesses require more startup capital than others, there are a few things that all of us can do to grow our business even when our money is a little funny.

Here are a few awesome ways to build your business even when you don’t have a lot of money:

Take advantage of free resources-

A few years ago I wrote an article on the stigma of free. People often assume that because something is free it must be of lesser quality. Let’s eliminate that thinking now because free stuff might just be the blessing that you need. When it comes to building a business, there are several free resources available. My favorite resources are:

Canva a fantastic tool for creating online graphics.  If you don’t have the money for a graphic designer it is a great way to cut costs once you have your basic branding in place.

Canva

HARO also known as “help a reporter out”. This is how I began generating free press for MyFabFinance. I have never had a PR rep. All of the press I have received is through word-of-mouth or using HARO. If you are starting a new business, it is a great way to get local and national mentions about your business and your expertise.

Podcast- I love podcasts. and I live in New York City. I can only imagine how much more time I would have to enjoy podcasts if I had a morning commute in a car. I often listen to podcasts when I go on long trips. There is an app called Stitcher where you can save your favorite podcast and listen to them later. Business podcast have tons of jewels and gems. My favorite podcasts are School of Greatness, Chalene Johnson, and Chris Ducker. I am also an avid listener of The Read.

Periscope- I have received so many good tips from Periscope. You want to carefully select those channels you subscribe to. There are a lot of experts and amateurs on Periscope and the app does not feature a credibility filter. Many experts often offer free Periscope classes and tutorials where learn valuable information. Periscopers I suggest are Amber Aziza, Maya Elious, and The Six Figure Chick.

Barter your services-

When I first moved to New York City, I was broke. I wrote an article on Xonecole about it. But I had aspirations of building a business. One of the ways I was able to do this was by bartering services. I understood social media strategy but a lot of the people who provided me with services didn’t know how to implement social media strategies. I bartered services with my nail technician and managed her social media in exchange for her nail services. I currently have an arrangement with my hairdresser.

I invite you to think outside the box about ways you can barter services. I have provided my credit repair services for coaches and attorneys. I wouldn’t suggest bartering services with a complete stranger whom you have no idea what their integrity is. It won’t always work as everyone doesn’t uphold their end of the bargain. I would also suggest starting small. Offer something small and then see if the person is trustworthy. Build the relationship from there.

Join an active entrepreneur community

While some people can build a business all on their own, I don’t suggest doing so. Community support is integral during the process of building your business. The community establishes a network of support and offers resources. Entrepreneur communities are excellent ways to learn about resources that you might not have otherwise discovered. There are several active online communities and I stress the word active. For example, I have a community for individuals who are subscribed to the Financially Preparing to Be Your Own Boss Course. Other exceptional online communities include Think and Grow Chick’s and Carrie Smith’s Careful Cents club for freelancers.

Conclusion

These are a few the valuable inexpensive tools I found to be helpful along my journey and among the journey of others. Do you have any suggestions for individuals who are hoping to build their business but don’t have access to a plethora of financial resources? Share them below.

Oh and don’t forget, registration for Financially Preparing to be Your Own Boss is open now. It is a course I created to help you plan your transition to self-employment the responsible way. Click below to learn more and register.

IMG_5616

 

Finances

FILED IN:

SHARE ON:

You said:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Leave a Comment

Created by nationally recognized millennial money expert Tonya Rapley, My Fab Finance is a leading financial education and lifestyle blog for millennials who want to become financially free and do more of what they love.