Author: Ruthless

It’s the dawn of the side hustle and almost everyone has one these days. But what about launching a real business? One that can take you from 0 to 6 figures in no time? And what if you have no money to invest?

It’s your lucky day because we have narrowed down the best and cheapest business ideas you can launch today for CHEAP or FREE.

1. Resume Writer

It’s a task pretty much everyone hates and a rare few are good at. Even if you think your resume is far from great, chances are someone out there will pay you to don there’s. As you get better and quicker your resume charging power will grow.

You could charge anywhere between $20-$100 dollars an hour, or a flat fee. Getting started is free and easy on sites like fiverr.com and upwork.com. Or, launch your own website and keep the money all for yourself! Advertise on Reddit, Instagram, your friends and family! Word of mouth spreads quickly. This is also a good side hustle and that you can launch while working your day gig and then build up into a full time income quick.

2. Meal Planning Service

Everyone loves food. Which means the target market for a Meal Planning service company is HUGE. Like our appetite!

It’s super simple to create a free website and start advertising yourself and your meal planning services. You can create a subscription based service where you provide a new meal plan each week (complete with a shopping list for extra value) or create a package of pre made meal plans for a variety of dietary preferences. Once you have these packages made it’s just a matter of advertising and then you have got yourself a nice little passive income stream that could turn into some big mullah.

3. Referral Services

Are you the person who your friends and family constantly call when they want to know a good restaurant, a decent house sitter, or a honest lawyer? Even if you have trouble referring that last one (oxymoron, we know) you could still make a decent paycheck if you made your expertise into a legitimate business. Here’s how we see it working:

• Start a list of business’s in your area that you want on your referal list.
• Reach out to the businesses and sell the benefits of being on your list
• Place ads on Facebook (local city groups are great for free publicity) and to your friends and family that you have this service.
• Soon enough you will have businesses reaching out to you to be on your list and willing to pay good money!

5. Extensive Travel Planning

While many may think that the “travel agencies” of the past are long done for, you may want to think again. Brick and mortar travel agencies may have a hard time surviving but digital nomad experts have a niche skill that those strapped with no time are still waiting to pay big bucks for.

The ‘wanderlust” influence of the internet is apparent everywhere you look on social media (yes we all want to be in Bali…). Young and old professionals alike are saving up their PTO to take extended out of country trips. The thing is, they often don’t have the time to plan an itinerary for a three week backpacking trip through Asia. But if it’s your business and you have the travel savvy you can make a killing planning these trips for them!

6. Child Proofing Services

Every family with a newborn baby or small child wants to provide a safe home for them. There are so many areas of a home that can be dangerous, from sharp corners to stairs. A childproofing business is very cheap to start up, but you may be required to follow certain state regulations, depending on your location. However, if you can get down a quick and easy system, you could easily take on staff that could do the dirty work for you. Or you could put together an Ebook instruction manual for new parents.

7. Tour Guide

Live in a happening city? Offer tours or sell guide packages. Set yourself apart by offering tours that speak to a specific niche of your community’s history. Some tour guides offer historical walking tours of their town’s most haunted spots while others curate guided foodie tours for guests to get a true taste of the city.

8. Product/Business Reviewer

Startups or individuals usually look for people who can write reviews for their products or services to encourage the audience to make a purchase. If you love to write and looking for online business ideas, then this can be a great option. You can either get started with a profile on freelancing websites or contact companies directly.

You can write reviews for them in exchange for a monetary reward by becoming an influencer. Even better, if you have your own website or a blog, you can write a post about their products. Its highly recommended to read some studies, guides & blogs before trying your hand in product/business reviewing.

We hope one of these ideas has ignited some inspiration in you to start something of your own! If you have never ran a business before or you think you may need to brush up on some existing skills before going global then check out the Willamette MBA program.

Or maybe not… Here’s a list of reasons why you SHOULDNT get an MBA.. h

Let’s look at the current automotive industry, which really has not changed the platform of the car or truck in decades.   Yes, like people today cars and trucks come in all different shapes, sizes, colors, options and accessories. There are still four wheels, a steering wheel, and a driver.  People who get the MBA are the latest greatest in features, efficiency, power, and fuel economy.

THE DRIVER

As a driver you tell the vehicle what to do and it responds to the instructions its given. The driver must be alert and ready for whatever lies ahead.  Much like your current job and career path. You as the driver make the decisions that affect your future. You zigged when you should have zagged. When you drive, are you focused or are you easily distracted by music, phones, other people’s driving? These are questions you need to ask yourself. As a professional are you focused on your career path/ tradecraft or are you interested in more of the social interactions.

What makes you better than the other cars/ people, around you? What features/ traits do you have that make you the best choice? Are you looking at the short road or the long road?

If you are looking at the short road then a gas-powered vehicle is for you. It is consistent with proven technology and in comparison to vehicles from 30 years ago, still more efficient. Then you have the electric car. Electric cars are becoming more and more forward thinking, evolving at a much faster rate in efficiency and operation.

Much like the electric car by having your MBA you are forward thinking and continually evolving to be more efficient and leave less of a wake behind you. This is exactly what employers are looking for! They are looking for low maintenance and highly efficient people that can problem solve and have the ability to evolve to new technology.   

THE COST

Today as cars and trucks are reducing the number of cylinders and introducing the turbo charger, super charger or both in the power platform gas & diesel fueled engines, they are more powerful and efficient than ever. The cost is also on the rise for big power in a small package. But little progress has been made in true fuel economy and return on investment.

This is where the electric cars are making the biggest difference. The upfront cost is less with a conventional gas-powered car or truck but long term when you look at maintenance, like oil changes, transmission services, power steering and fuels system service, the costs add up. This is all delayed cost of ownership.  Now, when we are all starting out with our first vehicle purchase, low cost is the goal. With an electric vehicle the upfront cost is much higher (like double), but the post cost of ownership is reduced and the energy (your fuel) consumption is smaller.

As you put mileage on your conventional gas-powered vehicle the value decreases and it becomes less desirable. It is proven that those with an MBA get paid more up front and hold their value. Employers get a better return on investment. Like an electric vehicle the energy/time in which the employer has to maintain and spend on managing you is minimal because like most electric vehicles, you self-program/ adapt to your driver’s habits.

THE VALUE

We all have purchased a pre-owned or new vehicle. Or maybe you are saving for one. After you make that purchase, do you feel you got a good value for what you paid?  In your mind you do, for a while anyway. The vehicle is your asset that loses value year over year and month over month. The cars and trucks today run longer and harder than ever before. By choosing to purchase electric you are making a choice for better return on investment (ROI). Electric cars hold their value because of the forward thought placed in the engineering, design and cost of ownership. This also applies to your career and life in general.  Are the choices you are making to further yourself giving you an improved ROI? If not, then it’s time to consider a Willamette MBA or MBA for working professionals program. Your value will increase and continue to yield a high return for you, your peers, and your employers.

In hopes that I have sold you on earning your MBA, you’ll can make more money to purchase your electric car.   Please stop by and see your friendly Austrian body builder salesman and Kick Gas.

In Full Discloser, I do work for big oil and this was satire =) for my MBA marketing class.