You don’t need big funding to start. Just a real problem to solve and a way to show up.
If you’ve been sitting on the idea of starting something, this post is for you. This for anyone with wanting to get into the startup world.
Maybe you’re tired of your job. Maybe you’ve got a few skills that people ask for again and again.
Or maybe, like a lot of us, you’re just done waiting for the “perfect” time.
The good news? You don’t need to raise a round to get started.
To boot, you don’t even need much money.
You need an idea that solves a real problem, and the willingness to do the first bit yourself.
Here are the first ten of the twenty ideas you can start fast with almost no money.
Pick one, start tiny, learn in public.
- Niche subscription boxes for specific groups: new dads, plant lovers, remote workers. Start small, curate items locally, pre sell monthly boxes, ship on demand. Carefully.
- Micro coaching for career, speaking, or productivity: Offer short sessions, clear outcomes, simple booking. Record lessons, sell replays, build trust through real wins and referrals.
- Design on demand for small businesses: Use Canva or Figma, fast turnarounds, packages. Logos, social posts, pitch decks, website refresh. Keep scope tight and friendly.
- AI powered resume and LinkedIn upgrades: Combine tools with human editing. Offer packages, turnaround in days, include interview prompts. Remember to share before after examples for proof.
- Local lunch delivery for remote workers and office parks: Partner with home chefs, set menus, deliver within neighborhoods. Keep routes tight and focus on reliability.
- Digital wellness check ins for busy people: Daily prompts, simple journaling, gentle accountability. Charge monthly, add audio guides, celebrate streaks. Keep everything calm and encouraging.
- Home setup consulting for small apartments and home offices: Optimize lighting, storage, ergonomics using items you have. Offer sessions, shopping lists, and follow up support.
- Course sales page copywriting for creators: Interview clients, map transformation, write headlines and objections. Offer audits, rewrites, and launch support. Track conversions to prove value.
- Personal finance planning tools for gig workers: Build spreadsheet systems for taxes, budgets, and invoices. Include tutorials, templates, and community sessions. Charge a yearly fee.
- Time smart travel planning for busy professionals: Build three day or five day itineraries. Prioritize direct routes, local gems, and stays. Deliver mobile friendly guides.
The rest of the startup ideas I like and are easy to do:
- Brand photography for solopreneurs using minimal gear: Plan shoots, natural light, clean backdrops. Offer half day packages and edits. Teach posing tricks that feel natural.
- Pop up ecommerce drops with themed products: Use Shopify or Etsy. Limited runs, stories, and bundles. Collect emails, repeat drops, and learn from every release.
- Starter skincare or wellness micro brand: Begin with one product for a specific group, like night shift workers. Contract manufacture, batches, honest ingredients, and packaging.
- Pet care kits and content for new owner: Training guides, treat recipes, and chew toy bundles. Offer subscription refills and chats. Celebrate progress in emails.
- Study support for adult learners: Weekly plans, accountability check ins, and sprints. Help with exams and projects. Create templates and group sessions. Results build referrals.
- Repairs as a service with pickup and return: Clothes, shoes, and gadgets. Simple pricing, routes, text updates. Partner with local fixers. Save items from landfills.
- Voiceover and narration services from a simple home setup: Record scripts for explainer videos, courses, and podcasts. Offer fast delivery, clean audio, and friendly revisions.
Here are even more ideas!
- Short form video packages for creators and brands: Script, shoot, and edit vertical clips. Batch sessions, templates, captions, and scheduling. Teach clients on camera confidence.
- Neighborhood compost and recycling pickup:Weekly routes, clean bins, reminders, and reports. Partner with community gardens. Sell compost back. Make sustainability easy, rewarding, and social.
- B2B marketplace for overlooked service: Connect interpreters, niche transport, or packaging with buyers. Vet providers, standardize pricing, handle invoicing, ongoing support. Start with one vertical.
- Pitch polish service for early founders: Tighten story, refine metrics, and delivery. Rework slides, anticipate questions, and structure follow ups. Measure improvement through investor feedback.
- Digital decluttering for busy professionals: Inbox resets, photo library cleanup, and file organization. Create systems, teach maintenance habits, and schedule quarterly sessions. Calm replaces chaos.
- Founder story consulting for hiring, selling, and fundraising: Shape a narrative, build proof, and teach delivery. Create a one pager, talk track, and repeatable moments.
- Customer research for small brands: Interview users, summarize insights, recommend actions. Provide recordings, highlights, and decision checklists. Help founders prioritize roadmaps that match customer pain.
- Micro SaaS that solves one tiny pain: Use no code where possible. Charge monthly, keep features focused. Offer support, ship updates, and show usage gains.
What these startup ideas have in common
None of them require a warehouse, a big team, or a bunch of code. Moreover, they all solve something specific for someone real.
That’s the key.
When you’re starting with little to no capital, clarity is your biggest asset.
You need to know:
- Who you’re helping
- What you’re helping them do
- How they’ll find out about it
- And what they’ll pay
You don’t have to guess the next big trend.
You just have to start small, solve well, and stay close to your customers.
Getting ready to raise your first round?
I work with early-stage founders to shape honest, investor-ready pitches that match what seed-stage backers actually want to see. Please get in touch.