In this blog we will discuss this question that many people keep asking: What business can I start with R1000? Especially as it relates to South Africa.
Most of the business blogs in the world say that one of the first steps in starting a business is to get funding. That is just a way to lose people’s money and hurt relationships.
It is much better to take your own money and start small. Then, you will develop yourself into the person that can grow a business. That way you can do very well.
However, if you are a seasoned entrepreneur and you know the industry well, you can maybe start at the top. Still try to do it with your own money.
We believe that you can practically start any business without money, or with less than R1000.
In this article we recommend products on which we may get a commission if you buy using our link. All of the products have been tested and are loved by us.
What business can I start with R1000 or LESS?
A construction company
Contrary to popular belief, you can start a construction business with no money. Here is what you need to do.
Ask for a deposit that can cover the full amount of all the equipment and stock you need to do the job at hand. But first you need some sales. Here is what you can do:
Look for jobs that need to be done in your local area. This can be things like a wall that needs to be painted, a driveway that needs to be fixed or anything that has to do with construction.
Then, speak to the people who needs these things done. Once you get someone that is interested in working with you, you need to receive your deposit.
The deposit needs to cover the equipment you need, such as a paintbrusher and roller. And it needs to cover the stock you need, such as the paint and primer.
Now you take the deposit, go buy the equipment and stock you need. And then go do the job at hand.
After the job is done you receive the remainder of the amount and now you have ample cashflow. You can roll this cash over into the next job so that each job gets bigger.
Keep repeating this process and your business will grow over time. And you will own all of it. It is all yours. No need to pay back an investor.
A social media marketing business
A social media marketing business is relatively simple to start without any money. All you need is a cellphone or a laptop and an internet connection (If you are reading this you do have these).
First, you need to learn how to do social media marketing. Read articles online on how to do marketing on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube or any other social media platform.
Once you know a little bit, you need to test it out. Create your own accounts with the platforms of your choice and post some content.
Then, you need to find a business that is willing to let you do their marketing for free. Yes, you heard me, for free, mahala, verniet.
This is to gain experience that you can show to potential paying customers when you approach them. That is the next step.
Message as many businesses as you can that is similar to your free client. Show them your work, let them know how much it will cost and start doing their marketing at a small fee.
Remember you are still learning to do marketing so you need to charge a small fee. You are not there yet.
Once you have a few years of experience and have built up your profile of successful customers you can begin to charge more. But only if your customers are willing to pay for it.
That is how you can start a social media marketing business with no money. Build it up slowly, employ some people and you will be able to pull a decent salary.
A consulting business
To start a consulting business you do need a high value skill in a niche market. Maybe you have 10 years of experience in HR, or making diesel from plastic, or you know how to build and grow businesses.
You have a skill that you can sell to businesses or people that face these problems. However, you have to have the know-how, or you need to have solved the business for yourself.
First, you need to build your profile, preferably on a website that you can show to customers. You can get this built by a website design agency or you can do it yourself by hosting your website here.
Next you need to approach some clients that have the problem that you need to solve. You can find them on social media, at fraternities or by sending direct emails to potential clients.
You need to get the message out there. We suggest that you start with the people you know. You can spread the message on your personal social media, message people directly or book face-to-face meetings.
Once you get your first client you can use the income from that to cover your living costs and to put the rest of your money into growing your business.
The best way to spend money in your business is by spending it to get more clients. This is called marketing and comes in many forms.
So focus on growing your business once you get your first few clients.
Start a blog
Starting a blog is really cheap. All you need is to buy a domain (around R100 per year) and get hosting (R30 per month).
If you have something that you would like to share that people love reading, or you would like to help people find answers for what they are looking for, you can start a blog.
Keep in mind that it takes time to make money from a blog. We started one 9 months ago and it is yet to make its first income. It is called Capetonians and is really cool.
You will need to write articles as much as you can write consistently. This could be one per week or three per day, depending on how much time you have.
Make sure that you know what you are talking about, that your articles are unique and that the blog posts are better than anything else on the web.
You should connect Google Analytics, get a RankMath account to do your SEO and promote it on social media to get the best results.
Then, when you have a bunch of readers every month you can start to display ads on the website, or you can recommend products that you get a commission on.
Do a business course
Doing a business course can help you to formulate your business idea, do research about the market and start with a group that does it with you.
We present the Mind Your Own Business course online that you can do to launch your business within 4 weeks.
After the 4 weeks we meet monthly as a group to help each other grow our businesses and keep one another accountable as to what we do.
After the 6 months of coaching, we look at how to take your business to the next level. You can sign up for the next cohort here.
That sums up the answer to what business can I start with R1000.