Starting any business requires thinking about your interests, skills and the purpose of setting it up. If you are passionate about being an entrepreneur but without the requisite funds, then learning how to start an online business for free, would serve your purpose. Though some amount of funds would be required for starting a business, still there are great online options available as seen below, which can considerably reduce the business start-up expenses. 

Free Storefront Through Online Sales Platforms

  • Free storefronts can be created by using existing online sales platforms like Amazon, eBay or Etsy. 
  • They have large customer traffic, making it easier to find customers to drive to your online business.
  • Expansion of storefronts can be done through paid services like Amazon’s fulfilment service, which handles both the sale and shipment of products.

Create a Free Online Store

  • Free website hosting services can be availed through providers like Wix or Weebly. 
  • Simple drag-and-drop interfaces available to develop your own webpage, but required to share their domain name with their ads getting displayed on your website.
  • However, note that to avail of these services, you will have to pay a nominal annual fee ranging from Rs. 500 to Rs. 2000. 

Content Management Services

  • For freelance business-like consulting, you can make use of content management sites like WordPress or Blogger. 
  • Free advertising of your services online is available through these sites.

Register on Affiliate Networks

  • Register on an affiliate network, like ShareASale, wherein you can start your online business for free. 
  • Affiliate networks pay you commission for advertising products of reputed advertisers
  • Advertisers give affiliates with prior approved company banner images, which earn a commission for you when visitors click your affiliate link.
  • Affiliate links can be forwarded to friends and acquaintances or published through your free website.

Sign-up for Print-on-demand Products

  • Get registered for "print on demand", a product publishing web site, like Zazzle to start your free online business.
  • Develop a bespoke design, align it with offered products on display and sell these items for free.
  • Purchase of such products from your web store entails you to collect royalty payments.

Online Business Marketing

  • You can market your online business by developing business video content on Youtube. 
  • It will take a little longer to gather clientele but you don’t need to sell anything directly.
  • Free social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram help to develop your business by helping creative interactive and interesting content.

You can now plan on starting your free online business by using some of the options cited above.

Important Points to Consider: 

Various platforms available online to start your business for free

Advertising is a key component of such platforms