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5 low-cost, flexible business ideas to fit your schedule
Tight on time or money? These 5 business models are cheap and easy to start... and fit neatly into busy schedules.
Bradley Schnitzer
March 14, 2024
Hey UpFlipers,
Sliding a business into a packed schedule can seem impossible, especially when you have little money to spare.
Between a job, responsibilities, and sleep, there’s maybe an hour (or less) a day to work on something else — let alone have the energy to work on it or the money to fund it.
So today, we’ll look at some low-cost business ideas that fit into any schedule.
They don’t earn as much, but they don’t have to hog all your time, nor is the risk of failure huge.
Oh, and you can use the money and skills you learn as a “springboard” into more time/capital-intensive businesses later.
Let’s get into it…
Today in 5 minutes or less, you’ll learn:
✅ 5 low-cost business ideas that fit neatly into your busy schedule
✅ Time management tips for low-cost, flexible businesses
✅ Don’t watch profits… watch THIS instead
5 low-cost business ideas that fit neatly into your busy schedule
We chose these business models based on their time involvement and startup costs.
You could start these with, at most, a couple thousand (all listed costs are estimates) while in school or working full-time.
From there, you can adjust your workload as needed. You could use some the skills and cash from one of these for a more capital-intensive business later.
So let’s take a look:
1. Digital marketing
Every business needs an online presence. Yet plenty of businesses don’t know how to maximize theirs. You can help them as a digital marketer.
Digital marketers do all sorts of things, from social media to content creation to paid online ads and more.
The goal: Grow client revenue and customer engagement through these digital methods.
What’s nice about digital marketing is that once you get good at it, your skills can be applied to any other business you start.
Why it’s flexible: You can take on one client for one service, like social media, and work from anywhere. As you hone your skills and build proof, you can move from client to client, raising your rates. Or, you can take on more clients or offer more services per client.
Startup costs: $200 - $1,000.
That could include:
Professional website and domain ($50 - $200/year)
Marketing tools, free and paid ($0 - 600/year)
Courses or memberships for learning ($0 - $1,000)
Lead generation ($0 - $300)
How to find clients
2. Graphic design
A graphic designer uses art/design skills alongside technology to create visuals that convey ideas, strengthen the client’s brand identity, and help sell more of their offers.
You might create logos, marketing material layouts, billboards, posters, website elements, and more.
Why it’s flexible: Graphic design lets you work from anywhere that you can access the Internet and your design tools. Your time involvement depends on your client load how fast you can complete projects.
Startup costs: $500 - $2,000.
That could include:
Professional website and domain ($50 - $200/year)
High-performance computer to handle design software ($1,000 - $2,000)
Portfolio hosting, if not done on your website ($50 - $200/year)
Design tools ($0 - $60/month)
Courses or memberships for learning ($0 - $1,000)
Lead generation ($0 - $300)
How to find clients
3. Online tutoring
Are you sharp at a school subject? Plenty of opportunities to help students get better grades (and get paid) as an online tutor are out there.
Tutors help with the main academic subjects (science, math, literature, etc.) and specialized skills (a musical instruments, tech, etc.). Tutoring platforms may cater to all subjects, but some are for specific subjects (such as English).
Tutoring has one of the lower earning potentials on this list and is tied more to your time. However, its also one of the lowest-cost and can be quite gratifying.
Why it’s flexible: You get to choose your workload and work from anywhere that’s quiet and has a strong Internet connection.
Tutoring platforms may have minimum/maximum limits, and make you pick your schedule/time slots. Some require teaching experience, whereas others want you to have a specific level of education in the subject.
Working with clients one-on-one outside of platforms offers more scheduling and skill requirement flexibility.
Startup costs: $50-300.
That could include:
High-quality webcam and microphone if you don’t have one ($50 - $200)
Membership on an online tutoring platform ($0 - $50/month)
Communication tools ($0 - $50/month)
Lead generation if seeking clients outside a tutoring platform ($0 - $300)
How to find clients
4. eCommerce reselling
eCommerce reselling involves buying products at a low price and reselling them for more to turn a profit.
Find a niche you feel comfortable in and understand that niche’s demand. Your skills at spotting underpriced goods and marketing them to your audience impact your margins significantly.
This will require a bit more capital. But it’s more scalable since its product-based.
Why it’s flexible: This may require more in-person involvement, especially at the start. Buying and selling could involve physically obtaining products and packaging/mailing them.
But most of this is done remotely and on your schedule. As you grow, you can offload tasks to software or contractors. You can also adjust your purchases with your schedule, too.
Startup costs: $100-$2000.
That could include:
Initial inventory ($100 - $1,500, depending on niche and initial inventory size)
Platform fees ($0 - $2,000/month, varies widely by platform and sales volume)
Shipping supplies/costs ($50 - $200)
Marketing/promotion ($0 - $300)
How to find products
Online marketplaces (Alibaba, AliExpress, eBay)
Social media (Facebook Marketplace, Instagram)
Estate sales
Retail store clearance sections
Liquidation sales (Liquidation.com, Direct Liquidation)
Where to find customers
Online marketplaces (eBay, Amazon, Shopify, Etsy)
Social media (Facebook Marketplace, Instagram, Pinterest, X)
Niche forums/communities (subreddits, forums, etc.)
5. Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing involves selling other people’s products. You earn a commission when people buy through your links.
Pick a niche and audience, build authority, find good offers that solve their problems, and become an affiliate for those.
Affiliate marketing is attractive due to its flexibility + scalability (discussed below). You don’t have to develop a product or service.
But it’s also the hardest. Lots are vying for affiliate marketing businesses. You have to build an online presence and a certain level of niche authority to get traffic and trust. This may be something you add after building an online presence through some other method.
Why it’s flexible: You don’t have to create the products/services yourself. Your time is not tied as tightly to you money as it would be with a service businesses.
Startup costs: $0 - $500
That could include:
Professional website and domain ($50 - $200/year)
SEO/marketing tools ($0 - $100)
Marketing/promotion ($0 - $300)
Content creation ($0 - $300)
How to find affiliate opportunities
Affiliate networks (ClickBank, ShareASale, CJ Affiliate)
Direct affiliate programs (many companies run their own programs)
Large eCommerce sites, as these let you earn commissions for any purchases made through your link (Amazon, Walmart.com)
How to find customers
SEO/content creation
Paid ads
Guest posting on other sites
Niche forums/communities
Email marketing once you have a dedicated audience
A few others
We don’t want this newsletter to go too long, so here’s a quick list of other low-cost, flexible business models:
App development (requires programming skills)
Print-on-demand (merchandise like t-shirts, mugs, etc.)
Digital/info products (eBooks, courses, etc.)
Voiceover work (audiobooks, commercials, ads, etc.)
Online bookkeeping (requires some bookkeeping skills/knowledge)
Handmade goods selling (requires you to make the products)
Data entry (monotonous, but easy work)
Speaking of “flexible businesses”…
Tired of the daily grind? Want to add a bit of extra income… say, up to $500 a day? 💰
Get ready for some side hustle inspiration that'll blow your mind! Check out this awesome video from The Savvy Couple: "5 Side Hustles That Are Going to Explode in 2024 ." 🚀🔥
You’ll learn more details on a few of the business models we discussed here… PLUS a some other ideas for businesses you can run as a side hustle (and eventually go full-time with if you want).
Whether you just want some extra cash or you’re looking for a way to fund a business venture, check out the video today!💡
Time management tips for low-cost flexible businesses
You can grow a business by investing time or money. Since you aren’t using much money here, you’ll be putting more time in.
Here are some tips:
1. Pick the time of day when you’re most productive
If you’re doing this on the side, you’ll only have a little time… so pick a time of day you have the most energy and availability.
For instance, can you wake up an hour early to knock out some business? Or maybe you can get some work done on your lunch break?
2. Time blocking
Context switching, the act of jumping between tasks, drains your energy and makes you less productive.
So block out time for specific activities. This minimizes distraction, saves energy, and helps you focus on doing “deep work” for one thing.
3. Say “no” often
Saying “yes” to too many opportunities (especially in service businesses) makes you overbook yourself. It’s harder to do quality work and you burn out.
These businesses are marathons, not sprints. Learn to say “no” to anything that doesn’t help you grow the business and doesn’t fit your limited time.
4. Use tech to increase efficiency
Software saves time by taking manual tasks off your plate.
Many software tools offer free plans, and some paid plans are only a few bucks.
A few to consider:
Cloud storage: Access documents from anywhere. Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive can work.
Project/task management: Track projects, tasks, and deadlines. Apps like Todoist, Trello, and Asana are popular options.
Time tracking: Track your time and find ways to use it better. Software like Toggl and Harvest are good options.
CRM: Store client/customer contact info for easier communication and follow-up. Hubspot, Zoho, and Dubsado are some examples.
Social media management: Schedule posts, check analytics, and manage accounts in one place. Hootsuite and Buffer are some examples.
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Don’t watch profits… watch THIS instead
Profit’s important. But if you’re doing this on the side, you might not be profitable at first.
What matters more is cash flow.
Cash flow is the amount of money you actually have on hand…
Whereas profits are the amounts you have theoretically made after expenses whether or not the money has arrived yet.
For some businesses, profit and cash flow will be the same. You get cash the moment you sell the offer.
Others separate them. You might have made the sale, but the money isn’t delivered to you until an invoice is paid.
For example, if you’re a graphic designer, your invoice might be outstanding for several days before the client pays it. Or if you’re tutoring through an online platform, you might not get the money right away.
Now, imagine you have some bills due for your business, like a business credit card. Or maybe your work temporarily dries up.
All your profits don’t matter if you don’t have the money on hand to pay the bills.
And on the other side of things…
Cash flows help you jump on opportunities that arise. For example, investing in a business coach or mentor, or buying inventory/supplies en masse to take advantage of limited-time sales/deals.
One other thing to note: Lenders like to see strong cash flow for this same reason. It shows you can easily pay down your debts and cover your expenses. So if you plan on expanding any of these business models, cash flows can help with financing.
A few quick tips on managing cash flow:
Improve your payment terms: Make it easy for customers to pay you with multiple methods and shorten payment deadlines.
Implement follow-up procedures for late payments: Follows-up reminders and late fees can encourage payment.
Manage your debts wisely: Avoid too much debt, as payments can eat into cash flows. Look for the most cost-effective options in terms of interest.
Budget and forecast: A budget shows you where your money is going and helps you find ways to cut costs. Forecasting helps you plan future business performance and cash flows.
To wrap it all up…
Not every business needs to be a 24/7 grind nor require tens of thousands in upfront investment to reach financial success.
These businesses won’t necessarily lead to Jeff Bezos money, but you can take them full-time businesses and earn a healthy income without hogging your whole schedule…
Or leverage the skills you learn into another model that leads to more potential wealth.
So if you prefer something that offers time freedom and solid earnings, look into one of the business models we covered.
But if you do want something bigger and more involved, check out our list of the best million-dollar business ideas.
Woah, check these out…
💡 Picked a biz model? Don’t miss our ultimate guide to starting a business
🔎 Check out our deep dive on how to do market research so you can know your audience and competitors like the back of your hand
🚀 Don’t miss these 5 side hustles that are going to EXPLODE in 2024…
🎙️ Catch our latest podcast episode for more business inspiration and ideas…
🏆 And make sure to sign up for our contest — one lucky winner gets FREE lifetime access to our brand-new membership website launching in April!
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