Trev

You can easily build a business from anywhere, even your bedroom. If you were theoretically locked in your room for months on end, here is a list of ideas that you could start today:

1. E-Commerce Store.

With platforms like WooCommerce and Shopify, you can build a t-shirt or hat store in a few quick steps. I’ve used a dropshipping platform called Printful to automate shipping and manufacturing.

2. Marketing Agency.

If you have a background promoting businesses, you can tell people you have the skills to help them out. Start with a niche and industry, like social media for restaurants, as an example.

3. Startup App.

If you have a problem that can be solved by an app idea, start building a mobile app. You can use Upwork or Toptal to find developers passionate about your idea. You can then offer them stock options in return for their services.

4. Self-Publishing Empire.

Have some ideas for eBooks? You can be an author by self-publishing your writing on Amazon KDP. If you don’t know how to write well, try hiring ghost writers on Fiverr to help you out.

5. Blog.

Blogs can be a great way to generate business. If you have affiliate marketing set up, companies will pay you to promote their products. WordPress is the gold standard if you’re looking to start a blog today.

6. Freelance / Consulting Firm.

If you have a skill in anything, try freelancing on Upwork or consulting on Clarity.fm.

7. YouTube Brand Channel.

If you like creating videos, try YouTube. If you produce quality content and ideas, you will build a following quickly. With enough views, you will have the opportunity to get paid for advertising when people land on your video.

8. Online Community.

With Slack, you can start a community on any topic and charge a fee or subscription to join.

9. Courses.

With course builders, you can teach others what you know without any effort at all. Check out Thinkific, Udemy and Coursera for learning ideas.

What are you waiting for? Choose one of these ideas and get to work! You now have the resources to make any business dream a reality. Best of luck!

If you have a limited marketing budget, here are 101 cost-free ways to start promoting your business today:

Social Media

1. Reach out to influencers on social media and partner for new content.
2. Re-share blog content on social media. Link back to the original source.
3. Post product photos on Instagram and Like, Comment and Follow prospects.
4. Vlog on your daily routine. Publish directly to YouTube.
5. Capture video shorts and exclusive photos. Post to Snapchat + Instagram Stories.
6. Compile videos and create a Weekly Highlights documentary for YouTube or Vimeo.
7. Search for new business opportunities on Twitter.com/search. Reach out and solve their problems.
8. Answer questions on Quora to show your industry expertise.
9. Join Reddit and participate in relevant community forums.
10. Create a branded hashtag for Twitter and Instagram. Use it everywhere in your communications.
11. Connect to LinkedIn alumni. You already have something in common with them.
12. Ask for LinkedIn introductions to get warm referrals.
13. Get involved with LinkedIn Groups or start your own.
14. Add Facebook Messenger to your website to receive live chat inquiries to your phone.
15. Add shop and product photos to Pinterest to reach new marketing channel.
16. Collaborate with influencers on Musical.ly to reach a younger demographic.
17. Improve your LinkedIn Summary to convert more viewers to take action on new product releases.
18. Become a LinkedIn Influencer to build your brand credibility.
19. Like, Comment and Follow the Followers of your competitors on Instagram.
20. Take a product photo and crop it into 9 squares. Post the 9 squares on Instagram as a grid to stand out.
21. Manage multiple social media accounts and post scheduling with Hootsuite or Buffer.
22. Export your CV/Resume from LinkedIn and share background story with prospects.
23. Add emojis to your customer communications to become more personalized and human.
24. Ask customers if they could share their photos with your product on Instagram.
25. Share popular blog posts on Twitter and then @ mention the original publisher to ping them.
26. Include a call-to-action URL link in your Instagram bio. Use a pointer emoji to say “Shop Now”, etc.
27. Change your Instagram bio link to a specific landing page to focus on a special promotion.
28. Standardize your brand messaging and voice by ensuring you speak the same on all social media.

Blogging

1. Guest post for the top blogs in your niche or relevant niche.
2. Start a blog with WordPress or Medium.
3. Invite others to write on your blog.
4. Write a press release for your local newspaper. Include a link to your website.
5. Use headers in your blog to break up long-form content (just like this guide).
6. Interview your staff, customers and other experts. Publish findings on your blog / vlog / podcast.
7. Create a “how-to” series, then publish and share.
8. Capture behind-the-scenes video footage and share.
9. Have staff handle your content marketing if they are a millennial crowd. Train them on best practices.
10. Write 500-800 words of quality content on your blog consistently. This will boost your SEO organically.

Digital

1. Create an FAQ webpage to answer common objections from prospects.
2. Launch a podcast – the voice recorder on your phone is all you need. Publish feed on iTunes.
3. Write an eBook and publish on Amazon.
4. Create a course on Thinkific, Udemy or Coursera.
5. Host Google Hangouts webinars to educate live online.
6. Broadcast interviews and events with YouTube Live.
7. Set up a Clarity account to offer coaching and mentoring sessions.
8. Join Fiverr to sell a service.
9. Launch a new idea on Kickstarter.
10. Improve the page speed of your website to convert more visitors. Reduce image sizes and animations.
11. Create a contact form on your website to capture new leads.
12. Use Google Sheets to build your CRM. Don’t get fancy.
13. Apply for Upwork projects. Share your freelance profile.
14. Set up a Google My Business page to promote your physical space in search.
15. Record video walkthroughs with Loom video capture.
16. Set up a Calendly account to capture booking details and emails. Add Calendly link to your webpage.
17. If you start growing and need more CRM features, use Streak or Insightly. Still free to start.
18. Set up an online portfolio page with About.me.
19. Use Unsplash for free professional photography.
20. Set meetings in Google Calendar. Include location and reminders for guests.
21. Host video calls / product demos with Hangouts / Skype.
22. Use Canva to create beautiful marketing collateral and graphic designs for communications.
23. Build your marketing processes with Process.st checklists.
24. Build an automated marketing calendar with reminders of activities through Process.st.
25. Use Craigslist to market a job opportunity.
26. Use Craigslist to market your products / services.
27. Revive old media living in your cloud folder. Make links public and share.
28. Create an Our Team webpage to build trust between your staff and prospects.
29. Gather customer feedback to learn what prospects want with a Google Forms NPS survey.
30. Make product prices higher on website and then discount with a sales promotion.
31. Create a free product as a way to get prospects to buy a full product version later. The freemium model.
32. Build a referral form and ask friends to fill it out if they know others who should check you out.
33. Create animated photos using Giphy.
34. Take your photography skills to a new level by placing the focal object off-center.
35. Take your photos to an even better level by adding filters pre-share.
36. Use Google Drawings to create quick artwork and designs for your social feeds. For the artist-types.
37. Use AutoDraw to transform your scribbles into art.

Email

1. Launch an Email Marketing campaign on MailChimp to nurture your prospects to buy.
2. Use your local business directory listing to gather 100+ emails per day. Reach out with a free eBook offer.
3. Share your social pages with your email list.
4. Set up an email subscription form on your website with a free content offer if a visitor subscribes.
5. Use Gmail for email messaging. Add site and social media links to your signature line.
6. Email prospects with an automated drip campaign in MailChimp. Take them from intro to purchase.

Offline

1. Launch a live event at your location next week. Send invites through email and social media.
2. Speak at a school about your business and passion.
3. Cross-promote with your neighboring business.
4. Reach out to distributors to expand your product reach.
5. Ask for referrals. Everyone has friends.
6. Get your product in local coffee shops, bookstores and grocery stores.
7. Attend free local trade shows or networking events and collect business cards. Add to mailing list.
8. Host or attend a Meetup group.
9. Offer pro bono services in exchange for qualified referrals.
10. Build partnerships by referring opportunities to other businesses.
11. Provide a service in exchange for a service that addresses your business shortcomings.
12. Ensure prices include the “left-digit” effect – $19.99 is psychologically more attractive than $20.00.
13. Experiment by increasing prices drastically. Prospects can value a perceived higher quality and price.
14. Once the prospect is interested in your initial products, upsell and cross-sell your other products.
15. Ask customers for referrals, either via face-to-face, email or social media.
16. Place products in coffee shops or random areas and take photos. Experiment with Guerrilla marketing.
17. Build a brand ambassador program to acknowledge your top fans.
18. Ask personalized questions to identify prospect pain points.
19. Finish every conversation with “how can I help you”. Look for every opportunity to provide value.
20. Be helpful with your knowledge, experience, advice and tips and avoid being pushy with Sales.

Click here for the PDF version.