With the current employment situation as a roll-off from the tougher days of the pandemic, people are making efforts to start their own businesses. While some companies have started recalling those that were fired, some are still delaying due to the inability to recuperate revenue lost.  

Usually, people wait to get a massive grant or loan to start a business, because they are convinced that you need that much to successfully start a business. First, it depends on the business you are starting.  

Some businesses would require a lump sum before the first move can be made, while there are those which cost nothing more than $500 to start. More often than not, these businesses are those which can be done online.  

Note that to start any of these businesses, you need access to the internet, either via a smartphone, tablets, Ipads, or a personal computer. That is the only way you can run any of these businesses.  

Let us look at 10 businesses you can start for less than $500.  

Social media management: Many celebrities you know do not upload their own social media posts, they have a social media manager who does that. Between sets, signing autographs, and taking pictures, there is barely any time to spend on social media. The same goes for some CEOs and other important people.  

Social media managers are in high demand, and the most important part about this business is that it costs nothing to start it. With time on your hands, you could be handling the accounts of multiple people from the comfort of your apartment. Becoming a social media manager costs nothing, but will earn you a lot of you know your way around it. 

Online direct sales representative: Some of these big brands like MaryKay use direct sales representatives to sell products. The kit when registering with them should not cost you more than $100, and it has everything you need to start. All you have to do is market their goods online and help them sell it. 

Vlogging/blogging: When you get to a certain number of subscribers on youtube, you will be able to monetize your account, the same way it is with blogging. When you get a certain amount of traffic to your blog, google starts paying you for ads. The only thing you need for either of these two things is access to the internet and a device. You do not necessarily have to be a writer to become a blogger, you just need to have something to say and know how to put it down. You also do not need to be a TV host before you can become a vlogger, you just need to have something to say and be able to say it to a camera.  

Virtual assistant: With so many people running businesses from home, more than ever now, they need an assistant. Someone to make calls on their behalf, send mails, receive mails, check and organize calendars, set reminders, and make sure the client gets all that needs to be done, taken care of. The best part of this business is that it is remote, so you can be the assistant for more than one client, and earn from all of them, it takes nothing to start.  

eBay Reseller: If there is an antique shop near you, visit them, especially if you have great eyes for things. Buy the cheap things that you know should cost more. Put them on eBay and sell them for what price you think they should cost. You can also sell some of the things that you do not need anymore, as long as they are in good condition. Note, you are not selling brand new things, you are selling things that have already been bought before. 

Dropshipping: This requires nothing much. All you have to do is find a genuine online store, and then create an account with your store name. What you do is that you advertise the goods on your page, with a price that includes your commission, and when you sell, you keep the commission. Sometimes, you can negotiate with the original shop owner to reduce their prices, so that you can get more gain.  

Resume Writing: If you know you are well skilled in writing a resume, find people who want to write a good resume, and offer your services to them. There are a lot of job seekers who need good resumes but cannot come up with their own. Your job is to help them write their resumes so they can get the job. This costs you nothing to start, however, the money from it is a little on the impressive side.  

Coaching: If you have any experience in coaching, either life or business, you can decide to do this online. On a place like LinkedIn, so many people are looking for life coaches to help them make the right decisions. You can be sure to find clients online. 

Editing: Not all writers have been blessed with the attention to detail that editing needs. If you are someone who can go through an entire document, picking out grammatical, and punctuation mistakes, then there are people online looking for your services. Editing requires patience, time, and a lot of attention to detail, most people do not have that, that is why they need you. This will cost you nothing to start. 

Transcribing: Pastors, TEDx speakers, and many other people need the services of someone who can listen to an audio or a video and put the words on paper. Sometimes, they want to make it into a book, other times, they would just rather read it. Whatever the reasons are, just keep in mind that they need the services of a transcriptor.  

Some of these online gigs can be found on sites like Upwork. The rest are not found on these sites but can be started online too. Some of these businesses require tools, but no one costs more than $500 to begin.