A weekend isn’t a long time to get a business up and running, and $300 isn’t much money to get you started. But under the right circumstances, it can be done.
If you need a few quick business ideas you can launch fast and cheap, here are three to get you started with a minimal hit to your bank account.
1. Dog walking and pet sitting
My apartment is right next to a city park, and I often see the same people walking their dogs throughout the week. While people often look as if they’re taking a break from work, not everyone has the luxury of getting their dog some exercise during their lunch hour.
And that’s where you come in. People in your neighborhood could need dog walking and pet sitting services — and many are willing to pay for it. The average dog walker gets paid $18.76 per hour, and pet sitters make $16, according to Indeed.
You can spread the word about your business for free on social media or set up a website over the weekend. The cheapest WordPress site costs just $48 annually. If you don’t want to find your own clients, set up an account on Care.com to find people near you looking for pet sitters.
2. Rent out your unused space
If you have extra space in your attic, garage, or driveway, you could be making money from it by Monday. The website Neighbor lets you list your storage space to rent for free. Just create a profile, take pictures of the space, and set your price.
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You’ll pay a 4.9% fee for whatever you charge each month, plus a $0.30 processing fee. Considering that you don’t have to find clients or invest any start-up money, it’s a small price to pay.
Just keep in mind that the site is only for renting storage space. While you can list an empty room on the site, you can’t rent it out for someone to live there.
3. Become an eBay seller
My kids sometimes sell Lego sets they’re not using anymore on eBay to make some extra cash. They get excited that they can make a little money, and my wife is happy that our home gains a little more storage space…until they find a new set they like, at least.
While we don’t do this as an e-commerce business, many people do, and it’s easy to get started. In one weekend, you could set up your eBay account and find items around your home you want to sell. While that strategy will work to get you started, focusing on a specific niche, like technology, games, or housewares will help you build out your selling business.
You can set up an eBay account and list up to 250 items for free. You’ll pay eBay a small percentage of each item you sell. If you eventually want to open your own eBay Store on the platform — which gives you more listings and a different fee structure — you can sign up for as little as $59.40 annually.
All of this talk about starting a business over the weekend has got me thinking about how I could earn extra money. I wonder if my wife would be open to having more Lego sets in our guest room — if someone were paying us to store them there.
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