small business ideas with low start up costs

[good_money]

Scrap metal is not worth it.

[stikymess]

How bout, yard sales or flea markets, people list "stuff" for free all day on craigslist, it's just a matter of you picking it up, separate the good stuff from trash and then selling it.

[good_money]

stiky, not looking to do that.

[MrXYZ]

Look for a service that takes care of things people are too lazy/don't want to do. eg: excel spreadsheets, gardening, window cleaning.

A friend of mine started a biz cleaning chimneys. It sounds dumb, I know. But he targeted wealthy areas where people use log fires instead of gas heating (mostly to show off) & now has regular clients.

Good luck.

[Kindred]

Move to Colorado and start growing pot, it's legal now. Get a few seeds and turn it into an EMPIRE

[High3rEl3m3nt]

Not to rag on the OP, but if you can't figure out how to apply your talents into a small business, there's not much hope in having other people tell you what to do. Not everyone is cut out to be their own boss...it requires hard work, persistence, and a bit of luck. Nothing wrong with working for someone else and if I got paid the same amount to work for someone else, I'd take it in a heartbeat.

[good_money]

I am just brain storming my friend. It's easier to be creative with others inputs, the top on my list is events coordinator/set up upscale events.

Just want side money... not trying to hit a big jackpot

[High3rEl3m3nt]

If you want some side money, win at sportsgambling. Two team dog teasers in NFL and NBA are great opportunities.

[good_money]

bullshit advice, what do you do for a living?

my guy doesnt even do teasers

[ssmann]

what are you going to school for? get a degree in engineering and you're good to go

[High3rEl3m3nt]

I read a few of your posts. Just focus on school and work. You are already doing a lot. If you start trying to do a small business on the side, something is going to give and it will probably not end well. If you want to make $200 to $400 extra a week, write essays for international students, especially engineer students. Maybe Deemer can give you a referral.

[good_money]

Business admin, minor in mass comm. STATS2 is about as far in math this man can go.

[good_money]

I see too many schmucks making alot of money on their own bullshit business.

[High3rEl3m3nt]

Clean bronze sculptures. Outdoor bronzes oxidize and need to be cleaned regularly. All you need to clean and protect their patinas is a torch, clear turtle wax (shoe), cloth, water, and you're good. I did this in college and made a bundle...granted, I had an artist refer his collectors to me.

[High3rEl3m3nt]

my gift to you. This was the procedure I used/wrote:

Procedure for cleaning bronze:

1. Cleaning

• Use non ionic laundry detergent and pour two caps worth into a bucket.
• Wet surface of the bronze thoroughly
• Use non metallic scrub brush and lightly clean the surface area
• Rinse and repeat until surface appears clean. Run fingers along surface and feel for dirt

1. Drying

• Use air compressor and work your way from top down. Make sure to blow out water from small crevices as this water can change the patina when being heated later on with torch.

1. Heating/waxing

• Hold torch a 2-3 ft away from bronze. Pay special attention to the amount of surface as different sections of the bronze will heat up at different speeds. For example antlers (less surface area) will heat faster than the upper hindquarters of a life size elk.
• Heat only one section of the bronze at a time (start at the top and work your way down)
• Use a large bristled paint brush and gently wisp across Kiwi neutral wax. Make sure that only a thin layer of wax is on the bristle tips.
• Take brush and run the tip along the heated bronze surface. You should be able to see wax melting and should temporary give the surface a wet look.
• Move on to another section and repeat until the entire bronze has been heated and waxed.

1. Cooling

• Let the piece adequately cool. You should be able to touch the bronze surface and feel a luke warm surface. Premature waxing will remove wax from the surface.

1. First Wax

• Once surface is cooled. Use a soft rag (100% cotton) and gently rub surface of bronze in a circular motion. Applying more pressure will not speed the process up. During this step the surface will rarely reflect the desired look. It may take several layers of cold wax application before a high gloss look is achieved.
• Repeat till the entire bronze has received a light buff.

1. Cold wax

• Before second wax, take a spray bottle filled with cold water and spray a section of the bronze (again start from the top and work your way down).
• Gently dry surface with one side of the rag (Don’t dry with air compressor)
• Take a new brush and wisp some wax onto the tips of the bristles.
• Gently run along the bronze surface
• The applied wax will have a hazy look which is desired
• Buff the applied area
• Spray with cold water once more and buff again
• Repeat till entire piece has gone through the cold wax procedure

1. Assess

• Certain areas will look shinier than others, these trouble spots may need the cold wax process several times in order to have an even look.
• If the bronze is located on/or near a lawn piece, ask if fertilizers are used on a regular basis. If they are, I would apply more wax layers to the base of the bronze in order to prevent patina damage.

[good_money]

Link Not Working - Removed-)

[High3rEl3m3nt]

Yes, the market is somewhat small. You're dealing with the wealthiest of the wealthy most of the time. First, they would never do this kind of work themselves. Secondly, they're afraid that they'll ruin their art, so they want to find someone. There is next to no competition, so this could be a profitable side project for you. Also, even bronze pieces that are kept indoors will slowly oxidize. Finally, with the procedure that I gave you, you can make a very oxidized piece look brand spankin new and your customers will be awed, which works great for referrals.

The bottom line, you can make good money doing this. I cleaned pieces that were worth over $250,000.

Here's your next lead. Google all of the foundries in your area. Find the ones that cater to artists. There's your in. Create your business cards, research the patina process, buy your supplies, and enjoy working your ass off. PM me for bid advice.

[High3rEl3m3nt]

This is one of the many bronzes that I have cleaned. Side note: the Govenator's ex-wife bought him one of these as a surprise b-day gift. My friend personally delivered it to one of their mansions in California.

[Coachep]

Refinish hard wood floors. You can even rent the machines until you see if your business will take off. You can also do those sparkly epoxy garage floors, both are easy if you have knee pads and half a brain, but many people are intimidated to do it themselves. Add in driveway sealing and basement warerproofing and you should have enough diversification to keep you busy year round.

[Coachep]

Also, lots of older folks like to garden but not all the work that goes with it. You could get a used tiller and set up their gardens for them. You can apply topsoil and fertilizer, the seedlings (extremely marked up, of course) and offer a service contract to come out 30 mins a week/bi-weekly to weed. For the wanna be "environmentalists you can install composters or rainbarrels (again, nicely marked up). Finally, you can easily raise your own ladybugs and earthworms. People will pay $30 for a box of each that cost you pennies to raise. All so they can go out and pick a few "organic" vegetables in the summer

[sulfurboy]

Lately I've been hitting up estate/garage sales and buying stuff I know I can resell for a lot more on ebay. Just take something you know a lot about (I know a lot about books and electronics) and seek them out. Another good thing on this same lines is keep an eye out for scrap silver/copper for sale at these. I've bought up entire silverware sets for $20, the people not knowing it was hundreds in scrap silver.

[Bigbill365]

Lots of good ideas here

[good_money]

yea good ideas keep them coming

[KingJD31]

Steal power lines/ telephone lines, ypu can make over 100grand a day from yhe copper. It is legal and safe

[KingJD31]

Also import elephant ivory

[good_money]

I have a 2012 chevy malibu I can't fit big equipment in this bitch.

So huge vacums, industrial cleaning machines outta the question.

[TheMoneyShot]

https://www.niteflirt.com

[good_money]

www.niteflirt.com

Not asking about online dating...

[Dutch]

Look for a place like http://www.sharplessauctions.com/ in your area.

Every Wed. a buddy of mine goes there, buys $500 cars and then brings them home and sells them for like $900-$1,200 in the classifieds.

Without a dealers license, after he sells the first few cars in a year, he has to find family members to put the cars in their name and then sell them for him. He also buys motorcycles in the winter and then sells them in the summer.

Dude makes pretty good money.

[good_money]

I think I finally found the lock I was looking for. Spent 4 years in a private high school, everyone's parents were crazy about which schools their kids got into. I figure I'm going to be a College Consultant. Go step by step how to get in the colleges you want. Ex: What grades/sports/volunteer/other after school shit.

Pretty vague now, going to put an outline together after I eat.

[TheMoneyShot]

Not asking about online dating...

It's not online dating... it's about whipping out your rod for money. Wake up.

[CallMeChip]

I got a great one I'm gonna unleash in two or three years with enough capital, still need about $20k. Good IT ideas are very cost effective if you know your way around online marketing and preferably how to code (barely any overhead). Honestly, it sounds cliche, but Ebay is still a very viable way to make money for some. I don't have enough time, but I have friends with full time jobs who make $10-$15k a year selling stuff, which really isn't bad side money. You'd be amazed how quickly a well represented item with good advertising can fly off the site. Classified sales are very popular in bad economies. Easy to buy low and sell slightly higher for a minimal profit. Just take that concept to the nth degree.

Look for a service that takes care of things people are too lazy/don't want to do. eg: excel spreadsheets, gardening, window cleaning.

Bingo. I'm a film editor and graphic designer, but i'll take on overflow from design firms in LA as side work. Easy work, not too time consuming (usually) and worth $50-$60/hr at around a 40hr minimum. I'm telling you, future is tech. Learn any and all you can now, stay a step ahead.

It's all about finding something you have an interest in and building a profitable idea around it.

[chipper]

ebay or affiliate marketing online can all be done with little startup capital.

[Sunde91]

provide unique entertainment with mass appeal and post it on youtube

after 2 years and about one 3 min video a week this guy makes like mid 6 figures a year throwing fast food together with some lame commentary

http://www.youtube.com/user/EpicMealTime?feature=g-u-u

if a fat douche can

after 2 years of vids this guy makes like 50k/year for eating clue and chugging vodka

http://www.youtube.com/user/shoenice22?feature=g-u-u

35 vids in 7 months for doing awkward things in public, already made 50k+ easily

http://www.youtube.com/user/LAHWF/videos?view=0

Moderate estimates only for views. Many possibilities to make a lot more with outside partnerships

[TheCentaur]

Steal the fat from liposuction facilities with your imaginary friend, then turn it into high priced soap and start a gang of followers