25 Businesses You Can Start for $25 or Less

One of my favorite times of the week is when I browse through entrepreneurial magazines and articles on Sunday afternoon. It gives me inspiration and new ideas and helps me to focus my priorities for the week. I'm a freelance writer making a decent living, but always need a side project or odd job to keep my finances running smoothly. It's an opportunity I welcome as a new way to express my creativity. And the best part about it? If it turns out to be something I just really don't enjoy, I can quit anytime. My only boss is me.

One of my new rules is that any business I start has to cost less than $25 in supplies, marketing, or necessary tools. I have invested more in the past, and usually regretted not trying it out first before putting down more cash. While I would consider investing in your future time and money well spent, I do recommend starting a handful of small businesses first to get your feet wet and motivation kick started.

25 Jobs to Start for Under $25 (or less!)

1) Car Detailing - If you enjoy making a car look new, offer your services cleaning, scrubbing, vacuuming, and servicing cars. If you know how to change oil, you can also offer this service at a fraction of what the pro's are asking for. Spend the $25 on new cleaning supplies.

2) Consulting - This seems to be one of the most overlooked part-time careers. Use your current skills in human resources, organization, finance, bookkeeping, or college prep course to offer your services on the side. Spend the $25 sprucing up your portfolio.

3) Content Writer - Create your own content for ebooks on your field of expertise including Do It Yourself Bookkeeping, Healthy Cooking, or Discount Wedding Ideas. Use sites like Associated Content or Hub Pages to earn money on short articles. Spend the $25 on a book about how to make money writing online to get inspired.

4) Cooking Lessons - If you know how to cook well or have a niche including healthy and fast cooking or cooking for picky eaters, market your skills and teach classes in your own home or the home of your clients. You can even bring along your own ebook recipes on a CD for purchase. Spend the $25 for new ingredients and cooking supplies.

5) Doggie Day Care - Many owners view their pets as their own children and aren't comfortable leaving them at a kennel. Offer to keep dogs during the day for walks, play, and individual attention. You can also consider joining a service like Sure Pets to market pet related products and toys for a profit. Spend the $25 on dog toys and treats.

6) Electronic Recycling - A broken computer can't just be thrown in the trash, it needs to be recycled properly. Pick up old electronics and take it to an appropriate recycling center. Unless you're lucky enough to live close to one, you'll probably have to drive to a neighboring town. Make sure to factor in any cost the recycling plant charges to dispose of electronics, as well as your gas. Use the $25 to advertise your services.

7) Environmental Housekeeper - If you care about the environment and enjoy spreading the word, package your housekeeping services to someone in need of a home makeover. Use all-natural products to start cleaning and keep your clients happy and chemical free. Spend the $25 on buying natural products including lavender and vinegar to make your own natural products.

8) Errand Runner - The only thing more precious than money is time. A personal concierge service is always in demand to pick up dry-cleaning, return items, do grocery shopping, and get the car service. Spend the $25 to put together a website through an inexpensive service like yahoo or bravenet.

9) Freelance Assistant - If no one is hiring in today's shaky economy, that means companies need someone to pick up the slack. Offer your services to fill in the gaps with correspondence, filing, typing, data entry, and organization. They'll save on steep fees from temp agencies by going straight to the source. Spend the $25 polishing your resume an updating your website.

10) Furniture Restoration - If you have a flair for making the old look new again, offer to restore favorite rocking chairs, tables, and desks for neighbors in exchange for the cost of supplies. Once you have a portfolio of before and after pictures, start marketing yourself to new clients. Spend the $25 on new supplies.

11) Haul Away Service - In New York, we just put our furniture on the curb to get rid of it and the sanitation department picks it up the next day. But in most cities, you need to haul away larger items on your own. If you or a friend has a truck or trailer, offer to haul away services for a fee of up to $100. Spend the $25 on a good pair of gloves and shoes for your next haul.

12) Home Stager - If you have a knack for interior design and organization, you can help home seller's stage their house for sale. Offer real estate agents free services in exchange for a small percentage of their commission once the home sells. Start by staging a few friends' home for the experience and referral. Spend the $25 on gas driving to your potential clients' homes.

13) Information Broker or Researcher - An information broker takes the vast resources online and off to find solutions and answers to their client's issue. That might mean finding a 1960's convertible for sale in their area or a completed plan on how to open a coffee shop. Market your services according to your own interests and skills. Use the $25 to buy a book on information brokering to learn more about expectations and successful marketing tactics.

14) Mobile Bakery - I love the smell of fresh pastries in the morning and New York is full of vendors selling them curbside. Check for any licensing requirements in your area before starting your own coffee and pastry business. Park yourself outside of office buildings, street fairs, or special events. Spend the $25 on getting licensed or baking your fist batch of muffins.

15) Mobile Notary - A notary is legally required to charge a fixed rate for their services, sometimes as low as $2 for a contract. However, a mobile notary can charge for their time traveling to a client if they state their fees upfront. It can end up resulting in a nice side business or even full-time income. Spend the $25 on getting registered, taking the test, and printing up flyers in your area.

16) Media Organizer - Most people will gladly pay to have their DVD and CD players, Tivo, flat screen TV's, iPods, docking stations, and surround sound systems all working smoothly without the tangle of wires. Offer to clean-up the mess and get their systems up and running. Spend the $25 on organization supplies including plastic ties and labeling.

17) Home Organizer - You don't have to sign-up to organize someone's entire home on your own. Instead, market yourself exclusive to office, closet, or garage organization. Offer to haul away any unwanted goods for an extra fee. Spend the $25 on new supplies and bins at a discount store.

18) Party Helper - I've seen quite a few ads on craigslist looking for someone to lend a hand at weddings, holiday parties, or cocktail receptions. You might be expected to check coats, refill drinks, freshen up the food, and tend to guests' needs. Spend the $25 jazzing up an outfit with new accessories to fit in at your next party.

19) Photography - While it's not easy to become a pro overnight, you can position yourself as a photographer for family reunions or kids' birthday parties at a discount. You'll need a quality camera and plenty of patience. Spend the $25 on a new memory chip or printing up stunning ads with your best photos.

20) Post-Funeral Services - It may sound morbid, but your clients will always appreciate your help packing up dishes, clothes, combing through bills and documents after a loved one dies. Talk directly to funeral homes or hospice centers to market your services. Spend the $25 on a tasteful website explaining your services.

21) Real Estate Blogger - With the market slowing and real estate agents competing against one another, they need an edge on their services. Offer to start a blog to update their listings, write original articles with selling tips and buying advice. Spend the $25 setting up a sample blog with real estate articles, listings, and photos to demonstrate your services.

22) Seamstress - If you can patch clothing, mend a hem, and alter dresses, market your services as a seamstress. You'll end up helping families save money by repairing their old clothes at a fraction of the cost of purchasing new ones. Spend the $25 on new sewing supplies and flyers with testimonials from your clients.

23) Teach a Seminar - I've always wanted to teach a class on how to break into travel or magazine writing. Market your skills from an insider's perspective and offer one-on-one consultations, expert advice, and more. Spend the $25 on renting out a community center or church basement. If you can't afford the rent, try holding your event at a coffee shop or park and spend your $25 on flyers, registering a domain name, and starting a new blog with ads to keep your new business earning.

24) Transcription - I type nearly 90 words a minute and find this skill is in high demand from graduate students, lawyers, real estate industry, you name it. Use the $25 to advertise your services at universities, businesses, and public bulletin boards.

25) Tutoring - Regardless of the economy, parents will hire tutors for their struggling kids and college students need to make the most of their tuition money. You could also consider setting up an online chat tutoring service for help with foreign language skills. Spend the $25 on a computer camera or study supplies.

Remember that starting a new businesses venture doesn't have to mean an incredible amount of start-up cash or time. Make a list of your interests and brainstorm on how you can turn it into a profitable business. And if you don't enjoy the project you started, try something else and give yourself the freedom to have multiple streams of income. Be sure to use innovative marketing tickets like offing $10 to your clients for new referrals, bartering and more.