10 Shoestring Businesses That Can Put Money in Your Pocket Quickly!

Do you need to start a business that will generate cash quickly and can be started on a shoestring?

If you lack funds and need to start producing a profit right away, don’t despair – there are many businesses that can be started for next to nothing and will put money in your pocket almost instantly. Here are just a few:

Window cleaning – If you have a van or truck, a few ladders, and about $300 for supplies and advertising, you can get some flyers printed up and distribute them throughout your community. Anyone can clean windows. Don’t worry about the technique – as long as you pay attention to detail, you’ll be fine. This business can put money in your pocket within a day. Please note that this is a dangerous job and isn’t for everyone. Extreme caution should be taken when working at heights.

Gutter cleaning – Although the season is very short-lived, the profit potential is amazing. Get a few long ladders, a couple of scoops, a bucket, and you’re ready to start making serious money. Distribute flyers, or go knocking on doors – you’ll be amazed at how quickly you can fill your schedule in the fall and start earning money instantly. Gutter cleaning is probably even more dangerous than window cleaning and extreme caution should be taken when working on ladders. Again, this isn’t for everyone. You need to be physically fit and knowledgeable when it comes to ladder safety.

Curb painting – Get some stencils, and a few cans of reflective spray paint. Go knocking on doors offering to paint the house number on the curb in front of the residence. You should be able to make at least $300 per day. If you’re looking for something part-time, this is one business where you can make your own hours. Make sure you can legally do this in your municipality by visiting City Hall first.

Freelance writer – Now we’re not talking about applying for a journalist position or writing for a national magazine; however, if you have reasonable writing skills, you can easily start writing articles for website owners. Search engines love original content and many webmasters are not able to produce their own for a number of reasons. You should be able to write on just about any topic, or do any necessary research to become proficient enough to write the article. Research online is quick and easy. You can expect to make between $5-$10 per article if your quality is good. Do an online search for “webmaster forums” and you will find that most of the major sites will have a section whereby writers can find site owners (and vice versa). If you’re quick, you should be able to finish five to 10 articles per day.

Pooper scooper service – As the name implies, your business is hired by homeowners who, for one reason or another, would rather spend money to have someone pick up after their pet than do it themselves. Incredibly, this business has gained a lot of popularity in the past few years. If there was no money to be made, no one would be doing it. Get some flyers printed up with your catchy company name and distribute them throughout the neighborhood. You’ll charge by the size of the property and how many animals there are. Try to get your customers on a contract – this is where the real money is.

Flyer delivery service – Establish a working relationship with your local copy shop then sell your service to local businesses. Either deliver the flyers yourself or hire a crew to do it for you. You should have exceptional organizational skills to be able to schedule times and the location of each flyer blitz. For additional income, you can bundle your flyers together in one package (like a plastic bag). If you decide to hire people for distribution, you should have great management skills.

House Cleaner – Get a few hundred flyers together and distribute them in upscale neighborhoods within your community and you’re in business – it really is that simple. Of course, you need to be detail oriented and efficient when cleaning people’s homes. You also need to be able to accurately estimate how much a certain house is going to cost. Look into liability insurance and have a criminal record abstract drawn up in case people want to see it. If you hire employees, look into getting them bonded.

Holiday lighting service – People love to have their homes decorated for the holiday season, but hate the thought of risking life and limb to hang Christmas lights. This is where you come in. Place a classified ad in your local paper or distribute flyers advertising your holiday lighting service. Find a supplier that can provide you with professional lighting (do an online search) and be prepared to put in 80 hours per week in November/December. Make sure you’ve got commercial grade extension ladders, and that you know how to use them! This is another dangerous business to be in, especially when there is snow and/or ice on the ground.

Print Broker – The printing industry can be highly lucrative but we all don’t have $1 million to invest in a retail outlet and equipment. No problem – as a printing broker you act as a middleman between the customer and the print shop. It helps to know a little bit about the industry in order to talk intelligently with both parties. Offer services such as color/black and white printing, posters, business cards, and so on. Place your ad in a local business publication or try selling face-to-face with some corporate customers. Your profit is made by marking up the price and through the volume discount you will get from your printing company.

Start Blogging – Go to www.blogger.com and start your very own blog within minutes. This takes no technical knowledge whatsoever. Make sure you pick a popular subject where people are likely to spend money. Once you’re set up, start writing an article each day and get out there and start promoting your website. Start interacting in forums and the multitude of social sites that are out there. Comment on other blogs and leave your link. Register with Technorati for even more exposure. Write some quality articles and distribute them to the major article directories with a link back to your site. Be consistent and make sure you write quality content that people will want to read. After you get some traffic, start displaying ads on your site to make money.