Easy Online Business For 2012 For Beginners

I just read a good article on 3 of the best online business ideas for 2012.  Two of them were geared more for beginners who have yet to break the $1,000 per month income goal and all three very low cost ways to earn a good income from home.  Like most of the good online business ideas I've seen these use affiliate marketing, blogging, adsense, or a combination of all three.

One of the most profitable low cost ways to start a business online is to create your own product but getting started with one of these three methods will speed the process for sure.  It's something you can do Now while you figure out what product you want to create yourself and learn how to market it online.

It's important to keep the end in mind and what I've learned about that is my online business encompasses about 5 income streams and I don't even have my own product completed yet.  I'm still debating whether I want to do a membership site or pay to have a software idea put in place.

Anyway if your looking for  few good ways to start a low cost business that are suited well for beginners (earning less than $1,000 so far) online go read that article on 3 of the best online small business ideas for beginners in 2012.

What new plans do you have for your business in 2012?

What is your biggest challenge to starting you low cost business?

What is your top way to start a business with no money?

What are some of the ways to get seed money fast?

Beginner Business Idea For 2012 You Can Start Today With No Money

If the thought of dishing out a few thousand dollars on  a "business-in-a-box" opportunity you've found online is bit out of your comfort zone I wanted to share a simple business idea with you.  It isn't a theory either because it's a business idea I implemented as a beginner myself back in 2006.  There are plenty of ways to learn an entire "system" of earning money with a home business idea you can start online but some of us struggle with that approach.  I'll share a low cost business idea that I did when I was a beginner that actually required no start up capital at all.  It won't make you rich over night, but it also won't cost a penny.

One of the main elements of my online business model is blogging. I'm currently looking for ways to make one of my main sites a mainstream blog in 2012. I received hundreds of thousands of visitors in 2011 but had a couple set backs late in the year.  Blogging is a great business model that is both low cost and low risk but it probably isn't for everyone.

How I Started My Online Business With NO Money

It seemed (and still does) odd to me that I could buy a cheap information product and learn what I needed to know to earn 10k per month using the Internet. So I didn't do that.  I did my own thing and learned in my own way. It took me about a year and a half to start earning any mentionable money and a full two years before I was earning more than $2,000 per month.  It wasn't until then that I started investigating different programs about creating income online.

A couple years ago I started doing some affiliate marketing and that is when I started purchasing these programs that claimed to show you exactly how to follow a system and earn money.  I was surprised that most of the programs I've purchased (all except one) did exactly what they said they would.  Maybe I was cynical, but I always assumed they were junk.  At some point you will find yourself in the same position if your building an online business. In the last year or so I'm starting to see more software oriented programs that automate PARTS of what I already do and they're really cool.  I'll continue to use information and software to improve my business ideas for 2012.

In a nut shell I wanted to share with you what I did as a beginner to start my online business. Back in 2006 I enrolled in a top tier business opportunity and started a free blogger blog like this one with the sole purpose of connecting with people who were looking for a good business to start that was home based.  You can still do this, and it's still free.  I have a small network of sites now that earn money and my old blogger blogs are still a part of that network.  They are good in a couple ways:

• They help my other main sites get more exposure in the search engines.
• They earn some money (between $400-$600) each month.
• They let me keep each site in a small niche.

This blogging platform has one built in monetization strategy (I'm not using it right now) and you can also promote other products or services that fit your audience.  I think this is one of the best beginner business ideas you can do in 2012 because there is NO risk at I think a lot of put things off because of risk.

I wrote an article on my one of my main small business websites where I talk about business ideas for 2012 about earning money with a blog. It's called "Can You Make Money From Home With Blogging?"  If you're interested in starting an Internet business in 2012 and you think you might like blogging, give it a read.

Is This Really a Low Cost Business Idea?

Actually it's a NO cost business idea, there are no hosting expenses with this business idea.  The platform is free, just google "BLOGGER" and start one today and keep your wallet in your pocket because it cost nothing.  If you want to ramp up your efforts and earn money more quickly (a couple months) I would recommend getting a general idea of what type of business idea you want to pursue then look into a program or membership site that teaches you how to do it.  You'll make more and you'll do it much more quickly.

The Trick to Low Cost Small Business Ideas

Many small business owner where I live in Michigan have experienced slow growth in their businesses over the past few years.  Some of them take advantage of the opportunities a slow time can bring and they improve their businesses.  One way to improve any business is to diversify what you offer and that is where I get this weeks low cost small business idea from.

Some businesses are started when someone learns the specifics of doing something then decide to offer it to others.  Many people learn a skill, trade or talent at a job and then go on too offer that service or product to the public via their own business idea.  Well, small business owners can do it too.  Think about all the services we pay for as small business owners, now think of some of the things you do in your small business that don't relate directly to what your business offers.  Get any ideas?

Several years ago I started building an online business which was built on a small blog network.  I've grown that online business over the last 5 years or so and along the way I've had to learn several new skills.  One of these skills has been and is search engine optimization.  Learning SEO and getting good at it took a lot of time and many small business don't have the time or the Interest to learn a completely new industry.  Basically it puts them in a position to hire someone else to do their SEO. 

When I researched companies to do this for me I was hard pressed to find a real solution.  First off my network was only making a few hundred dollars a month at the time and that wouldn't even get me in door with a reputable SEO company, so I did it myself.  Necesity is the Mother of Invention, right?

Do You Have a Low Cost Start Up in You?

For me, starting a low cost SEO service for small business websites really only required that I market the business.  I have everything I need to do quality search engine optimization work already from building my own online business for years.  All I really need is clients so I just need to put it out there.  One of the glaring benifits to this type of low cost business idea is that when you diversify or add to what you currently offer the cost are very low.  Not always, but most times there are several different directions you could take with your small business without hurting your core business.

If you have some special skill or talent that you already use in your business but don't currently offer it to the public maybe you should consider it.  It would also pay to look at your network and find opportunities to market your new idea.  Sometimes your network will actually unveil new low cost business ideas that don't require any capital to start at all, you might be surprised.

Starting a low cost SEO service is probably on of the least expensive low cost start ups I've ever seen especially if you don't have the need to go out and invest a bunch of money on marketing because you NEED customers.  Start slow and let the business build, that's the most economical way to build some businesses especially when they have have minimal start up costs and they really just offer extra income anyway.

Best Low Cost Franchise Business Ideas For 2012

Many of our visitors over the years have inquired about low cost franchise business ideas wondering if the franchise business model was a good way to start a business.  Over the years low cost franchise opportunities have changed.  While most franchise business have a large capital requirement there are several that truly low capital business opportunities.

I would, however, add that most low cost franchise ideas I've found are service based business ideas and this explains why the are inexpensive to start.  Owning a Jimmy Johns franchise is a lot different than owning a lawn care franchise, one is a service based business model the other is a retail franchise opportunity.  What are some common low cost franchise businesses?

Here is a short list of the most popular 2012 low-cost franchise business opportunities I've found:

• Cleaning Franchise Ideas
• Web Based Franchise Ideas
• Vending Type Franchises
• Consulting Type Franchise Ideas
• Handyman Franchise Ideas

This is a very general list of service based low cost franchise opportunities for 2012.  There are several in each group and some are better than others.  Much of the value, in my opinion, that a franchise offers is name recognition in YOUR local area.  There may be a low cost cleaning franchise that is well known in your region that would perform much better than better business model that isn't, just because of name recognition.

What Do Low Cost Franchise Opportunities Offer?

So what do you get when you choose to start a low cost franchise?  After all you will be paying a good chunk of cash, even if you start a franchise for under $1,000 you want to make sure you are getting value, so how do you determine value when buying a franchise? Here are the top three factors I would use in determining "bang for your buck" when it comes to starting a low start up franchise in 2012:

Exclusive Market Area
Brand Recognition
Hungry Market

If you can find a franchise you're interested in that has a low capital start up requirement, offers an exclusive market area, has a brand that you recognize, and serves a hungry market or cash in hand customers, you've got a winner.

Choosing the Best Franchise For You

I've given this simple piece of advice over a hundred times to people who are looking at low cost business opportunities. Here it is again:

Choose a business that you have a genuine interest in or even a passion for, this will serve as fuel to get through tough times and help you stay in the game until you can succeed.

Do you have franchise experience?  If you do, have you or someone you know ever started a low cost franchise?  How much capital outlay do you think qualifies for a low cost franchise, $1,000, $2,000 or $500?  If you felt you could make over $50,000 the first year of your franchise being in business, how much would you be comfortable investing?

Why Low Cost Business Ideas Are Frustrating

Low cost online business ideas are more difficult to find than you might think especially if your looking for a low cost way to make money with your business idea soon after start it. What's soon? How about 30 days or less? We aren't talking about starting a resturant or buying a franchise right? Are there good ways to make money that require very little money to get started?

I have a small network of websites that get a considerable amount of traffic that is targeted, like you, most people who visit this website right here are looking for low cost business ideas they can start. I know many of the first time visitors here are new and they are looking simple business ideas with low start up capital requirements, the good ideas are hard to find for several reason.

One of the most frustrating things I've run into is not actually being able to tell how much an opportunity, idea, or method is actually going to cost. It seems most online business ideas start out with the impression that it is free, then it is $67 dollars, then a "special" deal for the whole "sha-bang" for $197.... ya know what I mean? I write a lot on the home business and online business niche and I forget many of my visitors are actually looking for something the can DO right now to MAKE money.

If you anything like me you don't mind paying for something if you can use it to earn money right away. One of the things I've always tried to do is only recommend or suggest business ideas I either do or would consider using myself. Low capital ideas are nice and I still use very low cost and many no cost business ideas across my network and online business. In fact I've only recently started re-investing money back into my online business every month. I've kept cost low intentionally because I wanted to build a full time income.

To be honest what I've really done is to create my own low-cost online business model that uses a bunch of free and lowcost business ideas to monetize it. What are some of the low cost business ideas I've used online?

• Low cost or free affiliate marketing ideas.
• Network marketing opportunities.
• Make money blogging.
• Create Product driven niche sites.
• Sell advertising on my websites.
• Consulting and coaching.
• Build websites for other people.

These are some of the low cost business ideas that come to mind. Ideas I've used and currently use to earn money on the Internet. Most of these are (or can be) side business ideas that you can do in your spare time. That is how I started. Every now and then I come across a new business idea that I can use and I always recommend looking for new ways to make money. For about a 2 year period I relied exclusively on one form of making money with my websites and I felt very uneasy about that. I felt dependent on that one source kind of like people must feel about a job.

Since that time I've found several other ways to make money and now my income comes from multiple sources monthly.

If you would like to keep in touch and get updates, ask questions, grow or start a profitable home based business using low cost business ideas, get on our mailing list and we will send you updates from around our home business network. We share new ideas on making money, building profitable websites, work at home jobs, and tons of low cost business ideas people use to make money from home.

Low Cost Business Ideas Free Newsletter

We are going to be launching our Low Cost Business Ideas Newsletter in January of 2012 and you are invited to get on the list right away. You can make sure you receive the first edition by asking for a copy in the web form. We will be offering the newsletter across our entire network of small business blogs and you can offer it to your visitors and subscribers as well. Check it out first, if you like it, recommend it to your friends.

We have a large group of subscribers we have collected over the years, mostly people who are looking for low cost business ideas they can start at home. Most of the low capital start ups are online business ideas and can be started and run exclusively from home. Many of these business ideas cost $0 dollars to start. Most all of the profitable business ideas we will share in our Monthly Newsletter will cost under $100 bucks.

Why Get The Business Ideas Newsletter?

I'm of the opinion that is always smart to have a side business, or several. You never know what will take hold or what you will come to really enjoy doing. We will also be highlighting home based entrepreneurs who have build successful low cost business ideas online.

All of the low cost business ideas will be relevant and will be endeavors that will make money from home in 2012. I encourage you to sign up for the newsletter if your looking for the best business ideas for 2012 or if you have business ideas you would like to share you can sponsor one of our monthly business ideas newsletter, and remember the newsletter is free.

Along with share free business ideas we will also keep you up to speed with the top articles across our small business network. We will share our tip articles in:

• Investing Ideas
• Making Money Ideas
• Small Business Ideas
• Home Based Business Ideas
• Work at Home Ideas
• Low Cost Loan Ideas

Additionally the newletter will offer subscibers an easy way to ask questions about their own low capital business ideas whether they are online business ideas or off-line enterprises.

We look forward to welcoming you to our Low Cost Business Ideas Newsletter and helping you make more money online in 2012.

Low Cost Business Ideas Blog

Hello, while this looks like a brand new blog that has no posts, I'd like you all to know that I previously owned this blog for years and google decided to delete it. So I'm starting over. I'll make it better than before as I share business ideas from around the web and my local community. There are thousands of good low cost business ideas that can be found online. I've found several that let me make money from home.

Over the course of 2012 I'd like to make this a top business ideas blog and would love your help. You can comment here about things you would like to see from business ideas to ways to make money with your blog or web business in 2012.

Some of the topics I've learned a ton about and have had success in are:

1. Home Business Ideas
2. Online Business Ideas
3. Network Marketing Ideas
4. Paid Survey Ideas
5. Membership Sites
6. Information Product Business Ideas

Share your comments, questions and ideas below.

If you have any post suggestions or questions, ask them in the comments.