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Starting a business with absolutely NO money

June 26, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Guest Blog by Karen Wessels, co-founder of VA Connect & co-founder of SnappSales

What a scary thought – not only starting a business, but to start off with no capital -  yikes! If you read any article related to entrepreneurs, from Silicon Valley to the African continent, the very first thing you read is that they’ve got funding. But is funding the be-all and end-all? What if you don’t have access to immediate funding, but you have an amazing business idea that will change the world? Well, the alternative is to bootstrap it, to become really innovative to start this amazing business idea of yours.

 

So how do we do that, successfully and seamlessly? As Tony Robbins so famously says, “It’s not about your resources, it’s about your resourcefulness.”  We should show gratitude for the era that we live in, as there are so many free resources, truly awesome online platforms and software that can help us get our business going, with no start up capital!

Free resources

There are plenty of free resources on the internet. There’s Udemy, featuring a ton of courses on how to start a business with no money, and so much more. There are some courses that are payable on this platform, however, the free ones are visible. 

For technical know-how, I would recommend scouring YouTube for how-to videos. You may not have money to build a website, and yet that is one of the first things you’ll need to build an online presence. YouTube offers a myriad of videos on how to build a beautiful and conversion based website from scratch.

For everything else, Google it! Like Marie Forleo says, “Everything is figureoutable.”

Join a business incubator

Do some research to find a business incubator near you. Apply to join and once accepted you have access to office space, admin support, business coaching and the possibility of funding. Plus, you get to interact with like-minded people on a daily basis which is pivotal to the growth and success of your business.

Create an Audience

Start creating your ideal audience by blogging. Now I know for most people the thought of writing is scary, never mind writing for the public. However, I can assure you that content is king and the more content you have out there the better. Blogging is one of the best free ways to market your insights and skills, which in turn will drive much needed traffic to your website, showing you as a thought leader in your field.

Be prepared to Outsource

Learn from others and try not to do everything yourself. You have certain strengths and weaknesses, so rather outsource your weaknesses so that you can focus on building your strengths. Let’s take an example of a lawyer who has decided to start a software business for the legal industry. This lawyer understands the law really well and is great at building solutions to particular legal problems. However, his weakness is that he isn’t great at selling or marketing, so he would need to outsource that function to someone that can.

Outsourcing doesn’t need to mean you need the finances straight away. What about looking at doing an internship or asking a family member to help out while you’re building your business?

The biggest takeaway from this blog should be that if you’re prepared to work hard, think out-of-the-box, and take on any challenge presented to you, you can start a business without money. It’s possible and it’s happening right now! Go make your idea a reality and change the world, one business at a time.


Karen Wessels is the co-founder and COO of VA Connect, a South African virtual assistant platform that provides outsourced administrative support; and is also the co-founder of SnappSales, a company that generates quality sales leads for its clients. Prior to establishing both her companies, Karen spent over 10 years in different sales, marketing & admin support roles. This experience has equipped her with the invaluable skills required to run her two successful business ventures. Follow Karen on her Personal Website |  Twitter | Facebook | Google+

 

Read more of Karen's blog posts....

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Finding the best sales tools for your business 
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Living your Best Life as an Entrepreneur
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Living your Best Life as an Entrepreneur
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How Distractions in Business can become a Costly Thing
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The power of LinkedIn and what it means for your Business 
Apr 21, 2018
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Do you have a can do attitude? 
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5 guidelines for a market-friendly business name and why it’s important
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Accept help, even when you think you don’t need it
Mar 16, 2018
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Mar 16, 2018
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The Importance of a strong Online Presence for your Business
Mar 7, 2018
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The Importance of a strong Online Presence for your Business
Mar 7, 2018
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Mar 7, 2018
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Grow your business and keep your sense of humour at the same time
Feb 26, 2018
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In Guest Blog Tags Karen Wessels
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Happy Coffee Experiences…If you are a fan of great coffee you will love Happy Coffee, founded by Princess Adeyinka Tekenah in Nigeria. She is a Coffee Entrepreneur and a Mom, and the founder of this growing ind Image of the Day / Yococo

Vegan ice-cream heaven…If you are ice cream lovers like we are here at Lionesses of Africa, you will love the vegan ice cream from Yococo in South Africa, created by the talented Sinenhlanhla Ndlela. She is proving t Image of the Day / The Joinery

Mini Box Tote…We have always been big fans of The Joinery, the sustainable and ethical product design brand based in South Africa founded by Natalie and Kim Ellis, and their exciting Future Tex™ fabric con Image of the Day / Margaux Wong

Sustainable statement jewellery…We love the strong designs of the hugely talented Margaux Rusita, founder of Margaux Wong in Burundi. This international, multi-cultural jewellery and accessories brand was found Image of the Day / Nokware Skincare

Sustainable skincare…We love to see natural cosmetics companies with a sustainable approach to business succeeding in Africa, and Nokware Skincare, founded by Tutuwa Ahwoi in Ghana is a great example. She f Image of the Day / Marabou Essentials

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LIONESS BOOK REVIEWS

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Women Entrepreneurs Rewired To Rise: Powerful Habits that Break Through Burnout, Silence Your Inner Critic, and Build a Thriving Business from the Inside Out  by Fiona Soutter
Women Entrepreneurs Rewired To Rise: Powerful Habits that Break Through Burnout, Silence Your Inner Critic, and Build a Thriving Business from the Inside Out by Fiona Soutter
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After the Idea: What It Really Takes to Create and Scale a Startup by Julia Austin
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Bridging the Confidence Gap: How Empowered Women Change the World by Sheena Yap Chan
Bridging the Confidence Gap: How Empowered Women Change the World by Sheena Yap Chan

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