If ideas about your own business have surrounded you since childhood, or the example of successful businessman friends increasingly makes you think about creating something of your own, then this course of events means only one thing - change is on the threshold of your destiny and is waiting for you to finally discover them the door.

If you have a dream of owning your own business, then no external obstacles will prevent you from choosing your niche, which will definitely be a successful start for your business.

Basic personality traits of an entrepreneur

So if you:

And with all this burden of responsibility, you will experience pleasure from achievements in your activities, then your path is entrepreneurship.

But the most important thing is that even if you don’t have any of the listed properties, you should start your own business, especially if you’re starting from scratch, and you’ll definitely learn how to do it. You simply won't have a choice.

How to start your own business from scratch

There are general rules for choosing business options from scratch.

Start with an idea, you need to decide on your personal preferences and physical capabilities to organize your business.

If you, for example, are a young mother on maternity leave and at the same time you do not have a special accounting, economics, or design education, if you are not a programmer to open a remote business providing services, then why don’t you do what you are already doing now? most part of time?

Open an online store selling children's goods, which will actually only be an advertising showcase, on which you will place high-quality unique texts and photographs from the family album, and large players, for example, Taobao or some other company, will control sales, packaging and delivery. or another company.

Advantages and disadvantages of starting your own business using credit funds

If you are ready for what you will need:

1. Contribute a certain portion of the amount to purchase the necessary equipment;
2. Arrange liquid collateral (real estate, car);
3. Pay for the services of an expert who will evaluate your collateral property and business project;
4. Pay your agent for insurance or get much less money by using the services of a bank insurance company;
5. Make monthly payments on interest for the loan and servicing to your bank;
6. After approximately six months from the date of receiving the loan, you begin to repay the body of the loan itself, then you are an ideal applicant for a bank or pawnshop loan.

But are you prepared to lose your home or other assets if you encounter some unforeseen circumstances that delay the income you need to make all your payments?

To avoid such risks, better use of your own assets or attract investments and share part of the profit specified in the statutory documents with your partners.

How to use your habits profitably for business?

Have you ever wondered how much time you spend every day texting and talking on social networks? If there is a lot, then this is an excellent reason to make money on your connections accumulated over the years.

And there is nothing to be ashamed of. There is even a saying-slogan about this, and it can be adapted to the Russian language in the following form: “One’s own - to one’s own for one’s own!”

So why not give a chance to make money for your inner circle on the things or services we need, which may turn out to be of higher quality, and certainly more soulful, than those of large global corporations, which leave less and less room for the sprouts of small businesses.

Don't be afraid of new things! Change your measured life, choose the best opportunities!

How to start your business from scratch if you have no money and experience? Where can I find a working business idea to start a project? What business should you start to get your first profit tomorrow?

Hello, dear friends! Alexander Berezhnov, entrepreneur and one of the founders of the business magazine HiterBober.ru, is in touch.

Today we will talk about how to start your business from scratch. Is it really possible to do it at all? I answer unequivocally - YES!

Here I will describe a step-by-step technology for starting a business, and will give examples from my own business practice, as well as talk about the experience of my entrepreneurial friends who started their own business without money or other material assets in the form of premises, equipment or goods.

All you have to do is study this material and apply the knowledge gained in life!

Ready? Then let's go!

1. Why is it better for beginners to open a business FROM ZERO?

Dear readers, this section of the article is very important! I sincerely advise you to study it carefully. I guarantee you won't regret it.

Here the key points on starting a business for beginners will be explained from the point of view psychology of entrepreneurship.

Before starting a new project, be sure to think about what determines your desire.

Understand yourself and your motivation to open a business, and my small test, compiled in the form of two blocks of different beliefs, will help you with this.

For example, an excellent way for a beginner to start a business would be to sell popular, in-demand goods from China.

Belief block No. 1.

What thoughts SHOULD NOT open your own business with:

• How can you quickly earn a lot to pay off your debts?
• The idea I have in my head will definitely work, but I need money to make it happen;
• Am I worse than others? My neighbor is engaged in business and everything will work out for me;
• I'm tired of these idiot bosses, I'm quitting tomorrow and starting my own business!

Yes, friends, business is more psychology than technology. I'll explain why a little later.

Belief block No. 2.

On the contrary, you are READY to start a business if you think like this:

• I am very good at doing something that is in demand by the “market” and on its basis I want to open my own business;
• I realize that at the beginning, large investments in business are very risky, and I can only invest free money in the business, but I will not borrow it, since the risk of losing money without business experience is very high;
• My own business takes a lot of time, and in order to develop it I must have a cash reserve or source of income until my project generates tangible income;
• Having started my own business, I will no longer have bosses and supervisors who guided me in my work and I need to become a sufficiently organized person to act independently and achieve success in entrepreneurship.

If you have dominant beliefs from block number 1, do not rush to get involved in a fight. After all, most likely, such judgments indicate the emotionality of your decisions and underestimation of the risks that arise when starting your own business.

The beliefs prevailing in your head from block No. 2 indicate that you are fully aware of what business is and are going to take a responsible approach to its start and further development.

I already wrote above that business is basically psychology and only then - technology.

It's time to explain why this is so.

The thing is that our internal “cockroaches” and delusions prevent us from starting our project.

Here are just some of the myths that hinder the start of successful projects:

1. You can’t open a business without money and connections;
2. Taxes will eat up all profits;
3. Bandits will take my business;
4. I don't have a commercial streak.

Surely you are familiar with all these fears of beginners. In fact, if you overcome them, or rather just score and don’t think about all this nonsense, then your chances of success will increase MANY TIMES!

You can prepare documents for registering LLCs and individual entrepreneurs free of charge through the online service. At the exit, you will receive forms filled out without errors, which you just need to print and submit to the tax authority. This way, already at the first stage, you save your money and time, insure yourself against refusal by the Federal Tax Service, without delving into the complex language of the legislation.

2. Where to start your business so as not to burn out - 10 iron rules!

Then I bought 2 payment terminals. You yourself have probably used the services of such terminals more than once when paying for a mobile phone. But this business cannot be called open from scratch, since at that time (2006) I invested about 250,000 rubles in it.

So, friends, perhaps you know both successful examples of business projects and examples where entrepreneurs with their “brainchild” failed.

By the way, basically everyone hears stories of great successes, but it seems that it is not customary for us to talk about failures and is even embarrassing.

Like, I’m a fool, a loser, I’m broke, I lost money, I got into debt. So what's now? And now there is nothing left to do, all that remains is to live on and step by step get out of the current situation.

So that you don’t find yourself in the place of this poor fellow, here are the simplest rules that will help you start a business with minimal risks and great chances for the success of the enterprise.

How to start your business from scratch and not go broke - 10 iron rules:

1. Never take out loans to start a business if you do not have experience;
2. Before starting a business, take off your rose-colored glasses and ask yourself the question: “What will I lose if I fail”?;
3. Be prepared for different scenarios, consider both optimistic and pessimistic scenarios;
4. Under no circumstances should you open a business with money intended for other strategic goals in your life (children’s education, loan payments, treatment, etc.);
5. Carefully study the market and your capabilities, that is, the resources you have to start your own business;
6. Do not get involved with obscure or “super profitable” projects that require serious investments;
7. If possible, talk to experienced entrepreneurs who are successful in business and take note of their advice;
8. Start a business in a field you are familiar with;
9. Plan your upcoming actions in writing and clearly formulate each stage that you have to go through to achieve your goal;
10. Be optimistic and don't stop at the first difficulties!

3. How to start your own business from scratch - 7 simple steps using the example of a fictional aspiring entrepreneur Vasya Pupkin

For clarity, I propose to go through all 7 steps of technology for organizing your business using the example of a fictitious entrepreneur, let his name be Vasily.

This is the hero of our story, who decided to open a business from scratch.

Step 1. Determine your value

Look, friends, I think you will agree that business can be called the exchange of money for some value that you can give to your clients, that is, solve their problem for money.

Let's say you're good at driving a car, or you can make beautiful designs on a computer, or perhaps you have a talent for creating DIY crafts - in all these cases, you have value that people are willing to pay for.

Let's get straight to the point and do a practical exercise that will help you get your business off the ground:

Exercise:

Take a piece of paper and a pen, then write a list of 10 things that you feel are better than others.

Once you have this list ready, think about what you are good at that you really enjoy doing. Maybe you are doing this as a hobby now.

The fact is that a person cannot do something for a long time that he does not like, and business is a great creative process that requires your versatility, willpower and dedication.

For example, as a result of this exercise, you came to the conclusion that you like to teach something, explain things, communicate with people and work with information, and most importantly, that you are good at it.

Then, by combining your abilities, you can become a private tutor, consultant, or succeed in the network marketing industry.

This is a general principle.

So, once upon a time there lived Vasya...

Vasily decided to open a business and approached this task responsibly.

Vasya made a list of his favorite activities and compared it with what he does best.

Based on the results of the exercise, our hero decided that he would engage in computer design, since he had been working for several years in the company “DesignStroyProekt” LLC in Chelyabinsk, which develops interior design and then finishes the room according to the 3D project.

Vasily assessed his strength and decided that he would become a private interior designer; he already had a number of completed projects, positive customer reviews and an impressive portfolio.

Vasya loved his job and sometimes even took it home, since the company had a lot of orders.

Even then, our hero realized that, in fact, he was engaged in entrepreneurial activity, only his services were bought by a company at a low price, and clients paid the company much more for design development.

Here Vasily realized that if he could find clients on his own, then he would not have to go to the office at all, and his initial investment in the business would be minimal. After all, his design skills themselves are essentially a business.

This is how our newly minted entrepreneur came up with the idea to start a business.

While working in the company, Vasya even received a small percentage of completed projects, which means he could influence the level of his income.

Fortunately, he lived in a large city, where he had quite a lot of potential clients.

Step 2. Analyze the market and choose a niche for a future project

In order to understand whether your business will be successful, you need to conduct an appropriate analysis of the market in which you will sell your goods or services.

So, Vasya decided not to rush and carefully prepared for the new stage of life, which was called “free swimming in the world of business.”

Over the few years that our designer worked for the company, he learned that there were about 10 similar companies in the market in his city, and they all provided similar services.

He asked his friend Pasha, under the guise of a client, to go to these companies and identify their weaknesses and strengths in order to further develop competitive advantages by working for himself.

After commercial intelligence, Pasha identified a number of strengths and weaknesses of these companies. Pasha put these sides into a table so that Vasya could conveniently compare them.

Strengths of Vasya's competing companies:

• The interior designer of these companies inspects and measures the property for free;
• all companies provide a discount on subsequent finishing of the apartment;
• 7 out of 10 companies give the client a gift certificate for a 30% discount when re-ordering a design project from them;
• Managers of 9 out of 10 companies carefully talk with the client, competently finding out his needs.

Weaknesses of Vasya’s competing companies:

• 8 out of 10 companies try to be too intrusive to sell a large number of additional products and services at the first meeting with the client. This causes his negative reaction;
• the interior designer in all 10 companies, during the first conversation with a potential client, conducts a dialogue in complex professional language using a large number of special terms;
• 7 out of 10 companies charge an additional fee for making changes to a computer design project.

Taking into account all the above-described pros and cons of competitors, our hero Vasily decided to engage in interior design of houses and apartments in his city at a lower price. Similar companies on the market provide these services more expensively, since they spent a lot of money on maintaining the workplace and paying taxes for the employee.

The cost of our designer’s services was now one and a half times lower with the proper quality of execution of design projects.

This completed the second step of building his business from scratch with Vasily Pupkin.

Step 3. Decide on the positioning of your business and draw up a Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

In order for your customers to understand exactly what you offer them and what makes you unique, you will need to decide on your positioning. In other words, in what light will you present yourself to your client.

Let's return to our fictional hero Vasily, who wanted to open his own business and was at the stage of developing a proposal for the customer.

Vasya already had a good portfolio and a number of reviews from satisfied clients, but how to show all this to your potential customers?

Then Vasya said to himself: “I’m a designer!”, and decided to create my own website on the Internet.

Here he posted his portfolio, reviews, information about himself and his experience, as well as his contacts so that a potential client could conveniently contact him.

Vasily also formulated his Unique Selling Proposition (USP)*, which sounded like this: “Creating the interior design of your dreams for a reasonable price. Creative. Bright. Practical."

So Vasya began to position himself as a professional designer who, at an adequate cost, develops a good quality product for people of average income.

Step 4. Draw up an action plan (business plan)

In order to launch your business and avoid many problems, you need to be prudent and try to present your idea and action plan on paper in as much detail as possible.

You can briefly write down the main stages that you will have to go through to organize and launch your project. Draw diagrams and drawings and provide explanations for them.

Correctly, this stage of starting your business from scratch is called business planning. These are your instructions, following which your chances of success increase significantly.

I already wrote in one of the previous articles, be sure to check it out.

Now we return to our hero Vasily, who decided to become an entrepreneur and quit his job. Vasily had long wanted to open a business without investments, because he did not want to risk money. He understood that without proper experience, such an experiment could end badly and lead to loss of money.

As a result, Vasya decided that his actions would consist of 3 simple stages with subtasks and would look like this:

1. Create your own website with a portfolio, reviews and contacts;
2. Post your portfolio online on sites for remote workers;
3. Inform your closest circle about your new project (friends, acquaintances and relatives).

Stage 2. Receiving first orders

1. Sign contracts and receive advance payments from clients;
2. Fulfill orders;
3. Get feedback and recommendations from the customer, add work to your portfolio.

Stage 3. Quitting your job

1. Write resignation letters;
2. Work the required 2 weeks, complete work projects and transfer tasks;
3. Agree on the supply of clients to contractors for repair and finishing work.

Now he was completely ready to take the first practical steps to transform himself from an employee into an individual entrepreneur.

Step 5. Advertise your project and find your first clients

In order to find your first clients when you already have an offer for your services, you must first notify your acquaintances, friends and relatives. Tell them that from now on you are engaged in such and such activities, and also try to conclude the first contracts with them.

If your services are not relevant to them at the moment, ask them for contacts of people to whom they could recommend you.

It's no secret that in order to reach a large audience and automatic self-presentation, you will simply need to create a website for yourself.

Meanwhile, the hero of our business story, Vasily, did not sit idle and developed a personal website for himself, created groups on social networks, notified those around him about the services he provided and sent out commercial offers to his potential clients.

The first orders have arrived...

Step 6. Launch a business, earn your first money and build a brand

Having completed all the previous steps, you are gradually approaching the most interesting stage - the first orders, and therefore the first profits.

• Isn’t this what we strived for when we became entrepreneurs!?
• “How to make money starting your business from scratch?”- Isn’t this the question we asked ourselves?

If you show the proper perseverance and follow my recommendations, then success will certainly await you. Just believe in yourself and don’t give up ahead of time, be prepared for difficulties, because they will come, I’m telling you that for sure.

So, our Vasily received and completed the first orders. As usual, he did this with his usual professionalism. The designer understood that simply making money was not enough, because he already knew how to do this in his office job in the company.

Possessing a strategic vision, Vasily decided that in order to develop his business and increase the cost of his services, he needed to build a name for himself, or, as they say more correctly in business circles, a reputation.

Earn yourself a name that will help you earn everything else!

Folk wisdom

To do this, Vasya did not just sit at home and watch TV, but methodically engaged in self-education, attended thematic exhibitions and seminars, and went to creative gatherings of designers and entrepreneurs, where he could find potential clients and meet new partners.

A few months later, Vasya gained a reputation as an experienced and punctual professional in the field of interior design. The average cost of his order grew, and clients came to him based on the recommendations of their friends, to whom Vasya provided high-quality design services.

Step 7. Analyze the results and expand the project

When your business began to generate significant income, regular clients appeared, and you began to be recognized in the business and professional sphere, it’s time to sum up the interim results of your work and outline new horizons. Simply put, it’s time to expand your project in order to increase profits and your own “weight” (your name) in your chosen area of ​​business.

Vasily did the same; he analyzed his results, income, and outlined possible ways to expand his business.

As a result, our designer drew up a new business plan.

Now Vasily could hire assistants who performed all routine operations for him. Our entrepreneur opened his own interior design studio named after Vasily Pupkin. In it he was now the leader and art director.

Thus, having gone from a novice designer to a company employee, our now big boss Vasily proved to everyone by his example that starting a business from scratch is real and does not require cosmic sums, much less loans, which inexperienced entrepreneurs like to take out.

Dear readers, perhaps someone will say that this is a fictional story and the issues of registering a company, proper negotiations with clients, legal issues and other subtleties are not covered here.

Yes, this is true, but believe me, if you take these simple 7 steps as a basis, then starting a business will turn into an exciting journey for you that you will remember for a very long time. And as an experienced entrepreneur, you will share your practical knowledge with newcomers.

I will say that I personally managed to open a business using the described model.

I wish you good luck and I am sure that by approaching the start of your own project responsibly, after a while you will be doing what you love and getting paid for it.

Below you will find working business ideas for starting your own business from scratch, as well as real entrepreneurial stories about how my friends and I opened our own business.

4. What you can do to open your business from scratch - 5 best business ideas

The business ideas below will help you get started in business and actually feel like an entrepreneur.

Some ideas will be related to making a profit using the Internet, others will not.

All you have to do is choose the type of business you like and start immersing yourself in it.

Business idea No. 1. Business with China

Selling trendy goods from China is now a very relevant trend.

You can sell such goods by first purchasing them directly in China via the Internet, through social networks, one-page websites and message boards.

My friend Alexey has a business in Moscow for the retail and wholesale sale of Chinese goods. At first it was watches, various “fun things”, things for the home.

Now this business brings him clean 350,000 rubles per month.

His scheme is simple and consists of 5 steps:

1. Choosing the right product and testing.
2. Purchasing goods wholesale in China.
3. Advertising this product via the Internet in different ways.
4. Sending the ordered goods to the buyer by courier in Moscow or a transport company in Russia.
5. Scaling your business and encouraging yourself.

And once Alexey worked as a taxi driver and, as far as I know, started with a debt of 30,000 rubles.

Its success lies in studying the necessary information; you can start by watching a free webinar by Evgeniy Guryev, an expert on the topic of Business with China, and then take the first steps to implement this idea in practice.

Here's what Evgeniy says about business with China - 3 pressing questions:

If you want to start an effective online business selling popular goods from China, visit an expert in starting this type of business.

You will learn step-by-step information for starting a business now.

Business idea No. 2. Consulting and training

If you know how to do something well, then there will probably be many people who want to learn from your experience and knowledge.

Nowadays, training via the Internet is especially in demand. This is where you can find hundreds and even thousands of people who are willing to pay you.

For example, I have a friend Alexey, he lives with me in the same city of Stavropol and teaches foreign languages. Just a few years ago, Lyosha had to visit his students at home or invite them to his home. Now the situation has changed radically, everything has become much simpler.

With the advent of the Internet, my friend began teaching people English and German via Skype. I myself used his services for a year. During this time, I managed to learn English from scratch to a conversational level. As you can see, it works.

You can also start your own home business from scratch training or consulting people online.

Nowadays, many lawyers, accountants and teachers make good money this way. But there is an even more advanced option for making money on your knowledge; it is to create and sell your own training courses via the Internet.

To make a profit this way you need:

• choose a topic in which you are knowledgeable;
• record a training course on it;
• start advertising this course online in different ways and earn income from sales

The advantage of this type of business is that you record your training course once and sell it many times.

In general, selling information on the Internet in the form of techniques and manuals is called infobusiness. You too can open it and make it your main source of income.

Business idea No. 3. Earning money using the social network Twitter (Twitter)

Today, almost every person has their own profile on one of the social networks. But few people know that here, in addition to entertainment and communication, you can make good money.

One of these opportunities is Twitter, which is common for many - a social network for exchanging short messages of up to 140 characters.

Ordinary people spend their time and money here, while smarter people have turned this social network into their source of permanent income.

It's no secret that wherever people hang out, there is money.

After all, our Internet users are an active paying audience. So why don't you get some of their money. Moreover, this is absolutely legal and does not require outstanding knowledge.

You just need to take a few RIGHT actions and get your first profit. We have previously written about how to start your own business on Twitter and receive income comparable to the average salary in Russia. Read our article “” and implement the methods described in it.

Business idea No. 4. We are engaged in mediation - we earn money on Avito.ru

Making money using electronic ad boards is the simplest and most accessible for most people.

You are required to have minimal computer knowledge, a few hours a day and a desire to work for yourself.

With the help of sites that specialize in posting free advertisements, you can build your own very profitable business.

This can be done in 3 steps:

1. Find something to sell
2. Post an ad on the website
3. Receive a call from a buyer and sell the product

We will use the most popular Avito board (avito.ru) as a site for posting sales advertisements.

Hundreds of thousands of advertisements are posted here every day, and the site’s active audience numbers tens of millions of users.

Can you imagine how many potential buyers there will be for your product here?!

First, you can start here by selling unwanted items you have around the house, and then post ads for goods and services that you don't even have in stock.

You don’t believe that this is possible and want to find out how it's done?

I myself tried to earn quick money with the help of Avito, I won’t say that I became a millionaire, but I managed to earn several thousand rubles in a week.

Business idea No. 5. Growing from an employee to a business partner

If you are currently employed, you do not have to quit your job and open your own business. You can do this within the company you work for.

If your company is not too big, and you are one of the key specialists there, then under certain conditions you can get a share in the company’s business. This will allow you not just to receive a salary, but to become a full-fledged managing partner on a par with the current owner - your main manager.

This is possible if your actions can directly influence the increase in the company’s profits.

Become an indispensable specialist and it is quite possible that the owner of the company himself will invite you to become his business partner.

This method is proposed by the legendary Russian entrepreneur Vladimir Dovgan. Yes, you will have to work hard here, but you will become a co-owner of an already operating company without risks and really from scratch.

Dovgan himself gives the example of a guy who became a co-owner of a large restaurant chain in Moscow, and before that was a simple cook in one of the restaurants.

This young man really liked what he did, he was professional in preparing food and courteous with the guests of the establishment.

The owners, seeing his passion for work, first promoted him to restaurant manager, and then offered him a share in the business for developing their network of establishments and training staff.

I don’t remember this man’s name, but now he has become a dollar millionaire, without actually opening his own business, but by starting to develop someone else’s.

This is also a good way to start your own business, especially if you have a good career in a small or medium-sized commercial company.

Business idea No. 6. Building your business on the Internet

If you have good computer skills, know how to create Internet projects, or at least understand the principles of their functioning, then you should consider the Internet as a way to start your business from scratch.

There are two main ways to start an online business:

1. Freelancing. This is a business in which you provide paid services via the Internet. If you have professional skills, for example, you can draw beautiful designs, write texts professionally, or know programming languages, then you can easily make money on the World Wide Web. More precisely, it can rather be called working for yourself. Although successful freelancers earn from 500 before 10 000 dollars per month.

You can start earning money this way on popular exchanges for freelancers “Freelance” (fl.ru) and “Workzilla” (workzilla.ru).

2. Classic business on the Internet. Building a full-fledged online business on your own is not so easy; it’s best to follow the beaten path.

To do this, just read my article. There I talked about how you can make money from games, on social networks, from selling information from 50,000 rubles a month and gave examples of real people who are already doing this.

This concludes my review of business ideas. I hope that they will help you get started and start making your first money.

5. My own experience of starting a business from scratch in the service sector

As I wrote earlier, I opened my first business at the age of 19 - it was a vending business (terminals for accepting payments). Yes, this required funds. Then I had several more projects. All of them had nothing to do with the Internet.

And so, about 3 years ago, my current friend and business partner Vitaly and I opened our own website creation studio without a penny of money. We ourselves learned to make Internet projects literally on the fly, but in the end, after a few months, we earned about 500,000 rubles in our website creation studio.

Naturally, we often had to work with legal entities that transferred payment for services by bank transfer. To do this, you had to either open your own company or work through someone.

We chose the second method, having agreed with our current business partner Evgeniy Korobko. Zhenya is the founder and head of her own advertising agency. I interviewed him, you can read him in the article about, the material was published on our website.

Our first clients were entrepreneurs we knew.

We approached our business responsibly and fulfilled orders with soul. Soon the “word of mouth” effect worked when our satisfied clients began to recommend us to their friends.

This allowed us to receive a continuous flow of customers, and sometimes we could not even cope with orders. This experience helped us to believe in ourselves, and today we have a complete picture in our heads of how to start a business from scratch and make it successful.

I would like to note that with the development of information technology in the world, your sales market today is the entire planet!

There are no more distances, any information is available and now starting a business is much easier than even just 10 years ago.

I hope that all the materials in this article will help you take the first step towards your dream - your own business, which over time will turn from a small home project into a huge company with a worldwide reputation.

Therefore, dear readers, I assure you that everything is in your hands, just act, because the city takes courage!

6. The real story of how my friend Misha worked as a security guard and became a businessman

Here is one of my favorite stories about a real entrepreneur who started a business from scratch. After all, I promised to give examples from life in the article.

Do you want to know how Mikhail became an entrepreneur from a laborer, opened a business, bought a foreign car and an apartment?

A few years ago, my friend Mikhail worked everywhere he could: as a construction worker, loader, security guard.

In a word, he was not engaged in the most monetary and intellectual work. It all started with the fact that my friend was guarding a company selling construction materials. One day a client came to them who wanted to buy a large batch of building insulation, but it was not in stock.

Misha knew that literally 100 meters from the company he was guarding there was another hardware store that definitely had such insulation. Having taken a contact from a potential client, he went to this store in the evening and agreed that he would bring them a large client if they would give him a percentage of the purchase made from them. The management of this store agreed and Misha worked as a freelance sales manager, earning about 30 000 rubles for just one transaction (recommendation).

And this was an amount equal to his monthly salary!

Mikhail thought it was an interesting business, and the financial result of the deal gave him confidence. So he quit his job and began by agreeing with various companies that he would sell their goods. Since Misha already worked as a laborer and security guard in a construction company, he also chose construction goods for sale: windows, doors, fittings, roofing, and so on.

My friend simply walked around the construction sites of the city and offered his goods. Some people bought from him, some they didn’t. As a result, Mikhail created an assortment of the most popular products and understood how to properly negotiate with construction site foremen.

After 2 years, Mikhail opened his own company selling building materials and involved his brother in this business. Before this, his brother Kostya worked at Gorgaz and received the usual small salary. Now the guys are quite successful in sales and earn good money.

By the way, I have been to their office more than once and have known Misha for several years. He told me this story himself.

Conclusion:

By starting a business from scratch, you avoid the risk of losing money, and this is the most important thing. Also, starting with no material resources teaches you to make better decisions to make money. After all, if you are able to make a profit without investing, then with money you can even become a successful entrepreneur.

See you in the next articles and good luck in your business!

How to open your own business without investing money - 7 proven business ideas of 2018 for beginners and aspiring entrepreneurs

The phrase “Start a business from scratch” does not inspire much confidence. For some reason, it seems that behind it are hidden offers such as playing on the stock exchange or participating in network marketing. How to open your own business from scratch, having no free money, no goods, no resources? Is it possible?

It’s possible, you just need to take a fresh look at the resources you have. Where to start your business from scratch? From an assessment of available opportunities - education, skills, work experience, connections and acquaintances, the time you are willing to spend. And also add a computer, phone, car. Already a lot. But what about money, that same starting capital? The fact is that start-up capital alone does not ensure business success. If the measure of entrepreneurial success was only the money invested, then achieving it would be much easier. This means that you need something else besides money.

What business to start

Business is built on meeting the needs of customers and clients, and the profit goes to those who can offer the best combination of price-quality and good service. This means that in order to open a business from scratch, you need to understand for yourself what value you can offer to the consumer. Moreover, by working as a hired worker, you provide this value; only the employer stands between you and the consumer. This is a businessman who has chosen a sought-after niche, hired the right employees and organized a sales or service cycle. But, perhaps, he was faced with the same question: “How to start a business from scratch without money?”, only he has already answered it, and you have not yet.

When thinking about how to open your own business from scratch, decide for yourself which direction is closer to you: services, trade or production? There are hundreds and thousands of ideas in each of these areas. No matter how trivial it may sound, everyone will have their own recipe for commercial success. There is not a single one that is 100% guaranteed and will work with a bang without exception. And vice versa - there are ideas that are assessed by many as failures, but have more than one example of successful implementation.

If you want to start a small business from scratch, then answer these questions:

• What and where did you study, what skills are you well developed or have you been dreaming of learning this for a long time?
• What activities do you enjoy? If in your full-time job you have to do something that doesn’t bring you pleasure, then there’s no need to build a business on it.
• What needs do you, as a consumer, have? Perhaps you know how to provide this service in the best possible way?
• Is there a formed demand in your chosen niche in your locality?
• Can a selected product or service be sold several times to the same consumer or is it a one-time sale?
• What will it take to make a profit from one transaction - what time and effort?
• Will you be able to start your own business while continuing to work for hire?
• Do you know people who are ready to start with you without demanding payment for their work at the initial stage?

Provision of services

It is generally accepted that services require the least cost, but this is not always the case. Indeed, if the service requires from the performer only a certain education, qualifications, and skills, then such activity is a good answer to the question: “How to create a business from scratch.” And there are services for which skills and knowledge alone will not be enough; you will also need equipment, consumables, and premises. The scale of service organization also matters. For example, to do your own nails or hairstyles, it is enough to purchase professional tools and a small supply of cosmetics. You can serve your first clients at home. If you dream of opening your own business, then you already need serious investments, from one million rubles.

Here is a list of services that you can start providing without investment or using personal property.

• In the business sphere - legal, accounting, consulting;
• IT services - website creation, computer setup and repair, programming;
• Handicrafts - tailoring and knitting to order;
• Information and educational - writing texts, translations, tutoring, organizing courses and trainings;
• Repair - household appliances, housing, shoes, clothing, furniture assembly;
• Housekeeping: cleaning, cooking, caring for children and the elderly;
• Drawing paintings and portraits to order;
• Advertising - setting up contextual advertising, creating selling texts, developing business cards and booklets;
• Leisure - organization and management of holidays and events;
• Express delivery;
• Design and decoration of premises and open space;
• Mediation in the sale and rental of housing;
• Cooking - making cakes and ready meals.

Of course, providing services, if you do it personally, cannot be called a full-fledged business, but it is a good experience in receiving money directly from the client, and not through the employer.

Trade

How to start a business from scratch without money in trading? What to sell if you don’t have the money to purchase goods and open a store? The first step in such a situation is quality mediation. Find buyers and sellers, connect with each other and receive rewards.

How to find out what buyers are looking for? Query analysis can be done using the Wordstat.yandex.ru tool. Select queries with the word “buy wholesale”, select 30-50 products that are being searched for, and search for manufacturers on the Internet. Study the product price list, make a commercial offer, post it on bulletin boards or send it to wholesale buyers if you have found their contacts. Are you interested in a buyer? Then contact the manufacturer and inform them that you can sell a batch of goods under a certain percentage. Of course, you can answer that manufacturers have their own sales departments and there is no point in even trying to offer their services as an agent. But thinking this way is the same as not deciding to go out to sea for a catch on a rubber boat, because there are already a lot of large fishing trawlers there.

The capabilities of manufacturers' sales departments are limited by the number of managers; in addition, you can be more convincing in negotiations with the buyer. Try again and again. Imagine that this is your own product, and you need to get your investment back as soon as possible.

Another option is to take the goods for sale and offer them for sale at an existing retail outlet on commission terms. Yes, it is not so easy to find such options, but they also exist. Think about what connections and acquaintances with manufacturers you could attract? They wouldn’t give the product to a stranger to sell, but they will give it to you because you are a matchmaker, brother, godfather, or just a good friend.

The third model of trading without money is dropshipping. Here you bring together a manufacturer or large supplier not with a wholesale buyer, but with the end consumer. The disadvantage of this model is that the buyer is required to pay in advance, but there are sellers who agree to cash on delivery terms.

In the book “Wholesale Trade” we have collected sites with current offers from manufacturers and suppliers and other important information. You can access the book at .

Production

How to start your own business with minimal investment if your choice is production? This is unlikely to happen completely from scratch, because... production already requires raw materials, tools, equipment. First of all, these are ideas for home production:

• souvenirs, accessories, jewelry;
• soap and bath balls;
• agricultural tools,
• Stuffed Toys;
• wooden and wicker products;
• household and decorative items;
• Knitten things;
• bags and other leather goods;
• screens and curtains to order;
• handmade cards and boxes;
• advertising structures;
• bouquets of sweets and toys;
• photo printing on clothes;
• growing mushrooms, flowers, vegetables, fruits, berries.

If you have no idea how to build your business from scratch, because in the chosen niche you cannot do without premises and equipment, then explore the possibility of getting what you need with the condition of payment for the products produced.

Do you have a working idea for producing a sought-after product or even a patent for an invention? Contact business angels or venture investors. Make a commercial proposal with calculations of costs and payback and post it on message boards and specialized forums. If the idea is really worthwhile, and only money is required to implement it, then you will definitely find it.

Let's summarize: where to start your business from scratch if there are no free funds for it yet, but you are ready to invest time, effort, use personal property and acquaintances?

1. Decide which area interests you most and choose a few suitable ideas.
2. Become a member of thematic groups on social networks; they contain many examples of failures and inspiring stories. When someone has already taken the road you have chosen, it is easier to see from the outside the mistakes in the implementation of the idea and its hidden potential.
3. Advertise services and products on free channels, such as local newspapers and notice boards. Call the advertisements of clients or buyers yourself.
4. Without a financial reserve, you shouldn’t leave your job for at least six months, so choose an activity that will require you to spend no more than 20 hours a week. You won't last long in 24/7 mode, plus the quality of your work duties will suffer.
5. Involve family members, friends, acquaintances, and like-minded people in your business with the condition of payment for their work if successful.
6. Don’t stay long in the position of a single freelancer, invest the money you receive in development, hire employees, enter into partnerships.

In a financial crisis, when the number of jobs is declining, but at the same time the consumer and service sectors remain in demand, ideas or even businesses from scratch occupy the minds of ordinary citizens.

The desire to find opportunities for additional income is an important reason for searching for activities without capital investments. The benefit of such a business can be considered a minimal amount of risks, and if a person believes that he is strong in some area, then this will serve as an additional guarantee of the success of the new endeavor.

Business from scratch - does it happen?

No, such a business does not exist. In any case, you will have to invest:

1. Education.
2. If there is no education, time.
3. And, in any case, great enthusiasm.

There is a point of view that all the proposed ideas for beginners are not a business, but a craft. But there are no other options with a zero start. If there is no money for hired workers, you have to be your own hired worker. And only with the growth of your business, your own skills, abilities and income, will it be possible to delegate some of your functions to someone else. Moreover, very often even “grown” small-scale businessmen are forced to create an adequate replacement for themselves over the years. This is the specificity of small business. Small business is a way of life. To dream that in a couple of years the gears will turn without any of your participation is at least naive.

This material contains proven ideas in which you can still find your niche. Think about what your highlight is among the masses of the same, and go ahead. Each of these ideas fits perfectly into the “low start” requirements.

Types of businesses you can start without large investments

We will present at least 100 ideas that allow... There is no clear division into separate groups, but for a better understanding of the field in which you can go, we will accept a conditional classification by type:

Services

Automotive business ideas

The best ideas in the car business include the following:

Earn money online

For women

Video review

This article from To Biz looks at the newest ideas of 2017, and the authors argue that these ideas are indeed promising, work, but have not yet become too competitive.

Production

The production sector includes a large number of different ideas, but you should be prepared that a certain amount of start-up capital will be required.

Creative ideas

Some business ideas may initially be results-oriented because they are creative and unusual.

Home business

You can also find ways to earn money while sitting at home. Most home ideas are related to the hand-made industry.

Ideas for 2017

Every year new types of business appear, designed to generate, albeit small, income and capable of meeting the needs of society.

Ideas in crisis

In the wake of the crisis, you should choose business ideas in areas that remain in demand even with the scarcity of potential clients.

Ideas for business in Moscow

It is difficult to surprise the metropolitan public, and the market is so saturated that ideas are required that are either not yet very developed or have competitive advantages.

Some examples of investments and payback periods for a business idea

The main thing that will concern everyone who decides to open their own business is the amount of investment and the payback period of the project.

Opening your own business with minimal investment is real. The most important thing at the initial stage is to monitor the market situation, identify a niche area and draw up a business plan. Next you will need only perseverance and desire to make a profit. You should not expect that the money will flow like a river; in the first months you will have to work hard.

During a crisis, new businessmen face serious risks at every turn. Many goods and services that were extremely popular just yesterday remain unclaimed. And products that have never been in great demand, on the contrary, are sold at crazy speed. In this regard, many aspiring entrepreneurs are looking for an answer to the question of what kind of business is profitable to open now. In this article, we have collected several popular ideas that will help you choose a promising direction of activity and stay afloat in conditions of economic instability.

Computer diagnostics of cars

Recently, many technical centers have been opening where you can fix any car breakdowns. At the same time, the number of stations that perform computer diagnostics of cars for various faults is also growing. This service is always in demand among car owners, so if you are interested in what kind of business you can open in the city, pay attention to this profitable field of activity.

In order to organize such a business, you will need premises and special equipment for computer diagnostics:

• Computer;
• Fault decoding program;
• An adapter that connects the computer to the car;
• Mobile scanner.

The whole set costs 90–380 thousand rubles. Since new models and brands of cars appear every year, you will have to regularly update your computer program. Each update will cost you 2–3 thousand rubles. This service is provided by specialized companies.

Confused about what kind of business you can open in a small town? Pay attention to this simple and quite profitable idea. Prices for computer diagnostics services for cars range from 3–5 thousand rubles. The procedure takes 30-60 minutes. Accordingly, in one day, such a station will bring in approximately 25 thousand rubles. With a large influx of clients, you can earn 100-300 thousand rubles in a month, which means that you can quickly return all your initial investments. Such a serious profit is a powerful argument for those who still doubt whether it is profitable to open their own business now. To increase your income, you can offer customers on-site computer diagnostics, door unlocking, and other time-saving services.

Software development

As a rule, this service is used by small companies and organizations that cannot afford to employ experienced specialists. Most often, they order the development of programs for accounting and office work, business process automation, planning, etc.

If you are well versed in Internet technologies and programming and are thinking about what kind of small business you can open in the city, try organizing your own IT company.

The most profitable areas of activity in this area:

• Development of applications for smartphones;
• Training courses on 1C;
• Creation of online games;
• Software development for enterprises and organizations.

Jewelry repair shop

Repairing and manufacturing jewelry is a fairly profitable business, since the demand for such a service remains consistently high in any economic conditions. With the right approach, the jewelry business brings serious income to its owners. In order to competently organize such a business, you need to have some experience. If you have never worked in this field, before opening one, consult with professionals who can give you good advice.

A jewelry workshop will require large financial investments from you, approximately 6 million rubles. If you do not have your own start-up capital, it is better to consider other options for what kind of business to open now so that it will be profitable in the future. Starting a business during a crisis with debts and loans is too risky and dangerous.

The profitability of a jewelry workshop largely depends on the number of clients. At the start-up stage, you will not receive much income, but over time, when the business begins to flourish, your earnings will increase significantly. On average, a jewelry workshop brings in 400-700 thousand rubles of net profit per month. But in order to achieve such results, you need to work for 2-3 years. If you are thinking about what kind of profitable business to open in the city, be sure to consider this promising idea.

Security Agency

Thinking about what kind of business you can open in 2016, I would like to separately highlight such areas of activity as a security agency. This is a highly profitable business that does not require large investments at the start, so if you have not yet decided what kind of business you can open with minimal investment, take a closer look at this interesting and profitable idea. Before starting such a business, you need to carefully study its specifics and features so that no problems arise in the future.

According to the legislation of our country, the security business is subject to licensing. In order to obtain such a document, you need to contact government agencies. A license is issued provided that you have specially trained employees on staff. It is desirable that these are people with experience in law enforcement agencies.

Another important point is weapons. Not all security organizations use it. One firearm costs $200–300. In addition, security agencies purchase gas cylinders, traumatic weapons, rubber batons, stun guns, etc. Each protective equipment must be assigned to a specific employee. The profitability of such a business reaches 30%. You can return all the money spent on organizing a security agency in 6–8 months. This is an excellent option for a private business you can open without significant financial investments.

Tailoring studio

Lately, many women have been wondering what kind of small business can be opened at home? If you know how to sew well, why not organize a small workshop for repairing and sewing clothes at home? This is capable of generating decent income even during a crisis. Modern people are tired of the monotonous assortment presented in clothing stores, so they prefer to sew exclusive, original items to order. In addition, clients often contact the studio before various special events - weddings, proms and other holidays. The demand for such services is consistently high, so if you have not yet made a final decision, organize a small home workshop and receive a good, stable income. At first, you can complete all orders yourself. Over time, when more clients appear, rent a separate room in a residential area, purchase equipment and hire several seamstresses. The best advertising for such a business is word of mouth.

Taxi service

Many citizens of our country have often become interested in what kind of small business can be opened using your own car? The simplest option is private transportation. This activity brings in good income, but if you want to work independently, you should remember that you will have to purchase a special license. In addition, you should ensure your safety, since sometimes you come across unpredictable clients who can pose a real threat to your health and even life.

It is much more profitable and safer to cooperate with a taxi dispatch service. In this case, you will be able to receive orders from the operator, but for this you will have to pay 30% of your total earnings. Speaking of which, the amount of profit largely depends on the locality in which you work and on fuel consumption.

Resale of goods from China

This has become very popular among budding entrepreneurs. Let's take a closer look, shall we? All you need to work is a computer with Internet access and entrepreneurial spirit.

To make money, you need to find an inexpensive product in Chinese online stores, post its photo and description on your own resource, and resell it at a good margin. When the client pays for the purchase, you repurchase the goods from Chinese suppliers and order their delivery to the buyer’s address. The markup on the product is your earnings. This is an excellent option for those who are interested in what kind of business can be opened without investment, since you do not invest a penny in the purchase of goods.

Profitable business ideas for a small town

According to experts, this is one of the simplest and, at the same time, profitable areas of entrepreneurial activity for beginners.

Production of concrete products

Can't find a suitable idea? Try making custom-made concrete products. This could be the production of rings for wells and waste pits, or the production of garden sculptures. If you have never done this kind of work, the necessary information can be obtained from specialized literature and video tutorials on the Internet. The most important thing is your desire, and experience comes with time. To quickly master this skill, you can work for several months with entrepreneurs involved in the production of concrete products. In this case, you can carefully study the technology under the guidance of experienced specialists.