Last Updated: July 17, 2025
I’m Bob Adams. I’m a Harvard MBA and serial entrepreneur. I’ve started over a dozen different businesses. Most of my businesses I actually started with less than $2,000, including my book publishing company that I started in my basement apartment with just $1500 and eventually sold for $40 million.
And some I even started with virtually nothing. Most of the business ideas on this list you can start with very little money. A few you can start with almost no money. And some will require a little larger investment. I call these “two shoe string businesses.” Nonetheless, these businesses have the potential to become highly profitable and highly successful.
Choosing a good business idea can be a very important factor in determining your success in business. But it’s also very important to develop your idea into a distinctive and competitive business model. And, it’s important to carefully make the best decisions possible on the key issues you’ll face as you start your business. You should learn all you can about starting and running businesses and carefully create your steps to launching a new product.
Check out one of our most popular articles, 1001 Small Business Ideas. This article offers advice on many types of business ideas, including home-based, online, steady-income, low-cost, and product and service ideas. Many of the businesses on this extensive list can be started with less than $2,000.
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Disclaimer: The content on this page is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.
Written by ZenBusiness Editorial Team
The ZenBusiness Editorial Team has more than 20 years of combined small business publishing experience and has helped over 850,000 entrepreneurs launch and grow their companies. Our writers and business formation experts are dedicated to providing accurate, practical, and trustworthy guidance so business owners can make confident decisions.
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