10 Businesses You Can Start with Less Than $1,000 from Anywhere in The World

You don’t need a ton of money to launch a business. To prove it to you, we’ve compiled 10 business ideas that you can start with less than $1,000 from anywhere in the world. 

1) Digital Marketer

For skilled marketers, you can launch your own marketing agency, which can be run virtually. You can offer help in content marketing, online advertising, and social media. Of course, you’ll need to pay for minor expenses like hosting, domains, advertising, and other programs. However, your actual education as a digital marketer can be done for free. Between Google’s free certifications and HubSpot’s, you’ll be able to gain a grasp on the fundamentals you need to get going. 

2) Public Relations Professional

If you have some experience in the field or are simply an outstanding communicator with connections in a particular industry, you can get started as a PR pro. A public relations manager works with touristic agencies, media, government, and advertisers. Plus, it pays well with a median hourly rate of $49.

3) Virtual Assistant

If you’re organized and take initiative, this could be a good fit for you. A virtual assistant does all of the things an executive assistant would normally take care of — via the internet or the phone. This type of digital secretary isn’t necessarily a high-paying job, but it offers you locational freedom. 

4) Graphic Designer

Every business needs graphic design; logos, business cards, websites, and really anything anyone will see, require sleek branding. That’s where you come in. With loads of design tools out there, entrepreneurs and business owners can try their hand at doing it themselves, but realistically, it often shows. People are willing to pay decent money for this service because the difference between a shmo and a pro is enormous. 

5) Consultant

If you’ve already achieved a provable level of success in a certain field, then you can offer companies your unique insights as a consultant and get paid handsomely to do so. If you’re doing well as an individual consultant, consider scaling up and starting a firm. Consultants help businesses establish contacts, make deals, and guide their strategic plan. The median salary for someone in this position is roughly $40 per hour. 

6) Translator

For the multilingual, this is the most direct application of one of your primary skills. Companies need whitepapers and website text, product descriptions, on and on to be translated. Individuals also need help with translations. There’s no shortage of work providing this service. The median income of a translator is roughly $20 per hour. 

7) Freelance Writer

Companies and website have a serious need for top-level content, so there’s a real way to start your own business in this space. Freelance writing can be tough to get going, but once you start racking up credentials and clientele, keep the momentum. Your easiest client to get is the last one you had, so take care of them. Copywriting is particularly lucrative if you can figure out how to write the corporate equivalent of poetry.

8) Author

If you love the written word and possess the endurance to complete long form writing, then becoming an author could be an excellent fit for you. Nowadays, there are dozens of ways to publish your work whether you go the traditional route, self-publish, or you choose some sort of hybrid option like Lucid House Publishing. 

If you do take the self-publishing route, you want to make sure that your cover and interior page design looks excellent. Self-publishing has become legitimized via major author success over the past decade, but you still want to avoid your work looking unprofessional. Fortunately, you can find lots of affordable talent to help you on gig service platforms like Fiverr and UpWork. One word to the wise: Set aside a marketing budget for your book. You could handle production for $200-300 and spend the rest on advertisements and building out your affiliate network for book promotions.

9) App Developer

Start developing apps for others. You can do this as a freelance app developer or you can learn how to start an app development firm. Your biggest expense will be spending on a mobile device to test and submit your app and subsequent updates. Believe it or not, you don’t actually have to know how to code to become an app developer. We wrote about how a non-coder was able to develop an app that continues to generate passive income in another article. 

10) Photographer

If you love taking pictures and have an eye for it, it’s possible to get into photography for relatively cheap. As newer technologies develop, the older tech prices continue to drop. The trick is to find your niche and work on your skills obsessively. It’s not an easy business to become successful in, so you need to be passionate about photography without having illusions that it’s for the faint-hearted. We also wrote about how a model turned photographer turned his hobby for image-making into a 30+ year career in this article.