711: 8 Online Businesses You Can Start With (Almost) No Money

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• Success in low-cost online businesses like the Amazon Influencer Program relies on consistent effort and compounding returns from evergreen content, even if initial earnings are small.  Copied to clipboard!
• Freelancing and consulting success often comes from niching down to become an expert on a specific software tool or service, leveraging content marketing (like YouTube) to build trust and attract clients.  Copied to clipboard!
• Low-cost online business models like digital products, rank and rent, UGC, directories, and newsletters thrive by focusing on keyword research/SEO, solving specific problems, or leveraging existing platforms to find an audience.  Copied to clipboard!

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Sponsor Read: Gusto Payroll

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(00:00:00)

• Key Takeaway: Gusto offers all-in-one, remote-friendly payroll, benefits, and HR software for small businesses, simplifying tax filing and direct deposits.
• Summary: Gusto handles payroll, benefits, commuter benefits, workers’ comp, and 401k with no hidden fees. It is the number one rated payroll software for fall 2025 according to G2. Listeners can get three months free by running their first payroll at gusto.com/slash sidehustle.

Business 1: Amazon Influencer Program

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(00:01:11)

• Key Takeaway: The Amazon Influencer Program allows earning commissions by creating short product review videos that Amazon places on relevant product pages, offering long-term passive income potential.
• Summary: Applicants need some social media following to qualify, but success requires consistent video creation, even if initial earnings are small. One example showed over $2,000 in total earnings, including passive income years after initial uploads. Influencers can also earn by being paid directly by brands for reviews or by reselling free products received.

Business 2: Freelancing and Consulting

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(00:05:39)

• Key Takeaway: Low-cost freelancing involves identifying a solvable problem, often by piggybacking on popular software tools (like ClickUp or Honeybook), and using content marketing to attract clients.
• Summary: Success in this area is amplified by niching down; one VA increased her effective hourly rate tenfold by focusing solely on system setup for specific software. Client acquisition is effectively handled through ‘pull marketing’ on platforms like YouTube, where content builds the necessary know, like, and trust factor before sales calls.

Content Strategy for Client Attraction

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(00:08:58)

• Key Takeaway: Content strategy for service providers should involve long-tail keyword research using tools like vidIQ and competitor analysis to create unique, high-ranking videos that address ideal customer pain points.
• Summary: Content creators should analyze what performs well for competitors and add their own spin rather than copying topics entirely. AI tools like ChatGPT can assist in generating SEO-friendly topic ideas for content series. Building a catalog of evergreen content can provide consistent lead flow even when new content creation pauses.

Client Acquisition via Partnerships

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(00:14:10)

• Key Takeaway: Strategic partnerships with businesses serving the same target customer base can generate a reliable flow of freelance leads with minimal effort.
• Summary: A natural referral partnership works well when one consultant does not offer a specific service the other does, such as an admissions consultant referring essay prep work. One or two strong partnerships can be sufficient to meet lead flow goals.

Business 3: Digital Product Sales

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(00:15:00)

• Key Takeaway: Digital product sales, such as printables or templates on platforms like Etsy, require understanding keyword research and SEO more than high-level design skills to generate passive income.
• Summary: The model allows creating an asset once and selling it repeatedly, with one example reaching $1,000/month in a few months by listing 20-30 products weekly. Targeting low-competition, long-tail keywords is crucial, and even products with low search volume (e.g., 50 searches/month) can generate significant passive income when stacked.

Business 4: Rank and Rent Websites

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(00:18:24)

• Key Takeaway: Rank and rent involves building and ranking websites for local service searches (e.g., ‘Dallas carpet cleaning’) and then renting the lead flow to local service providers for $500 to $1,500 monthly.
• Summary: Ideal niches are service-based, high-ticket jobs (like roofing or concrete) where the service provider travels to the client, and targeting metro areas around 400K population offers a sweet spot for manageable competition and sufficient lead volume. The model is scalable, remote-friendly, and highly profitable once rankings are established.

Business 5: User-Generated Content (UGC)

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(00:21:23)

• Key Takeaway: UGC creation involves making authentic-looking videos for brands to use in their ads or organic feeds, requiring only a phone and a portfolio, regardless of personal follower count.
• Summary: Creators should build a portfolio using products they already own and then cold pitch brands via Instagram DM or email, asking to be connected with the partnerships manager or influencer manager. Successful creators can charge over $1,000 per short video and secure monthly retainers.

Business 6: Directory Websites

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(00:28:03)

• Key Takeaway: Directory websites are an AI-resistant online business model that requires adding value-added data to underserved ’near-me’ niches to attract traffic beyond what Google Maps provides.
• Summary: Frey Chu found success by building a directory in the thrifting niche, which generated $1,200 monthly via AdSense (using Azoic/MediaVine Grow) after establishing traffic. Initial promotion involved posting the completed directory link on a relevant niche subreddit.

Directory Business Framework

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(00:33:18)

• Key Takeaway: A solid framework for evaluating online business opportunities includes checking if they are scalable, global, cheap to start, remote-friendly, high-margin, and sellable as an asset.
• Summary: Directory websites meet these five criteria, unlike traditional informational blogs which have struggled due to recent SEO updates. The speaker noted that reciprocal membership directories are a potential new directory idea.

Business 7: Email Newsletter

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(00:34:58)

• Key Takeaway: Newsletters, starting free on platforms like Substack, scale well because the effort remains constant regardless of subscriber count, monetizing through sponsorships, affiliates, or paid subscriptions.
• Summary: Growth relies on social media promotion (Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn) leading to a lead magnet, followed by consistent, valuable email delivery. One guest grew her paid newsletter by showcasing vulnerability and promoting the value proposition of grant opportunities to her existing Twitter audience.

Business 8: Teaching Online Classes

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(00:41:40)

• Key Takeaway: Teaching online classes, especially cohort-based live sessions, is viable on platforms like OutSchool, which handles background checks and marketing for K-12 subjects.
• Summary: OutSchool recommends pricing between $10-$15 per student per hour, with the platform taking a 30% cut; one teacher earned nearly $100/hour teaching video games with 12 students. Creating a high-quality profile video is key to gaining initial traction, as the platform promotes new teachers.