Many people I know dream of the day when they will open their own business and get rid of the 9 to 5 rat race. They don’t realize that they will enter another rat race, one with more adrenaline rush, and with more working hours per day, but with the satisfaction of working for themselves.

When you have very little money, what business can you start? Here are a few ideas:

1. Sell books online: the initial investment will be in building the website, plus an initial stock of books which you can store in a room in your house. Add some PPC campaigns, and you’ll probably be able to start with about $5,000.
2. Join affiliate programs: joining is free, but you’ll need to customize your affiliate website, and you’ll need money for promotion. Estimated amount needed to start: $2,000 – $3000.
3. Blogging: choose a topic you are interested in, research it, and write about it. Very cheap to start ($9 the domain, $100 hosting for one year), but time consuming, plus it will take months or years to build authority and make real money. Blogging tips are very widespread on internet, so you’ll find your way with ease.
4. Sell baby products online: mothers with very small children don’t have so much freedom to go shopping like everybody else. Sometimes they would run out of something they urgently need, so you can supply them such products like diapers, baby food, kitchen items online.  The initial investment needs to cover the website production, an initial stock of goods, a car for deliveries, and some money for advertising (total estimated at minimum $5000-$6000, provided that you already own the car)
5. Sell insurance: this can be highly productive, but you have to know a lot of people and to be willing to work hard, to promote yourself, and if somebody throws you out the door, you have to be the type who comes back through the window. Starting this would require a minimum investement of a few hundred bucks (for some business cards, probably a website, and a lot of phone calls)

Whatever you choose, you will have a period of time when you’ll need to support the house expenses and the business from your pocket, so be sure you have savings to keep you alive and kicking for at least one year, if not for two years.

Good luck!