Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
How to make money with $0
23
items Here are some genuine side hustle start-ups you can try if you have $0. It will be tough at the beginning, but once you start making money, then you can upscale using the money you made and build from there.
Sections
4
Print on Demand (POD)
Affiliate Marketing
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)
Youtube Shorts/Tiktok
Print on Demand (POD)
With Fourthwall, you can open up your own shop all for free on their website. You can link your fourthwall shop with Printful. Check out my Printful rec for full details on how this works.
Open a shop for free | Fourthwall | The best way for creators to open shops, offer ...
Printful is a print-on-demand service that lets you create and sell custom products online without worrying about inventory or upfront costs. You can design your products using tools like Canva or Photopea, then upload your designs to Printful. From ...
Printful: Custom Print On Demand & Dropshipping
You can use Canva for free to make all your designs for your products. Check out my Printful rec for full details on how this works.
Canva
Photopea is essentially your free Photoshop, where you can create your designs for your products. Check out my Printful rec for full details on how this works.
Photopea | Online Photo Editor
Affiliate Marketing
This is one of the most popular affiliate programs you can use to earn commissions. Here’s how it works: When you sign up for Amazon’s affiliate program, you’ll receive a unique storefront ID linked to your affiliate links. To promote a product, simp...
Amazon Associates
You can use Pinterest to promote your affiliate links. Create a business account to be able to track how your pins are performing.
Pinterest
You can use Canva to create your pins and make them appealing to your audience so you can get more engagements and conversions.
Canva
You can use Instagram to promote your affiliate links.
Instagram
You can use X/Twitter to promote your affiliate links.
Twitter
You can use Facebook to promote your affiliate links. Check your analystics to see which type of products do well
Facebook
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)
Starting an Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) business with $0 start-up capital is entirely possible if you leverage free tools, resources, and your own skills.
Here's a step-by-step guide to help you get started:
### 1. Understand Amazon KDP ###
Amazon KDP is a self-publishing platform that allows you to publish eBooks and paperbacks for free. You earn royalties when your books sell, and there are no upfront costs to publish.
### 2. Choose a Niche ###
- Research profitable niches: Use free tools like Amazon’s Best Sellers Rank (BSR) or Kindle Store categories to identify trending topics.
- Focus on your expertise or interests: Writing about/Design something you know or enjoy reduces the need for expensive research.
### 3. Write/Design Your eBook ###
- Use free writing tools: Make your book using free tools like Google Docs, LibreOffice, or FocusWriter, Canva.
- Leverage AI tools: Use free AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude to help with ideas, outlining, drafting, or editing.
- Keep it short: Start with shorter books (10,000–20,000 words) to save time and effort or 50+ dot-to-dot pages
### 4. Design a Cover ###
- Use free design tools: Create a professional-looking cover using Canva (free version) or Kindle Cover Creator (available on KDP).
- Find free images: Use royalty-free image sites like Unsplash, Pexels, or Pixabay for cover art.
### 5. Format Your eBook ###
- Use free formatting tools: Format your eBook using Kindle Create (free tool from Amazon) or Reedsy’s free eBook formatted.
- Follow KDP guidelines: Ensure your book meets Amazon’s formatting requirements to avoid rejection.
### 6. Publish on Amazon KDP ###
- Create a KDP account: Sign up for free on the Amazon KDP website.
- Upload your eBook: Add your manuscript, cover, and book details (title, description, keywords, etc.).
- Set your price: Choose between 35% or 70% royalty options. For $0 start-up, price your eBook competitively (e.g., $2.99–$9.99).
### 7. Market Your eBook for Free ###
- Leverage social media: Promote your book on free platforms like Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
- Build an email list: Use free email marketing tools like Mailchimp (free tier) to connect with readers.
- Join online communities: Share your book in relevant forums, Facebook groups, or Reddit threads (without spamming).
- Use Amazon’s free tools: Enable Kindle Unlimited (KU) to reach readers in the KU subscription program.
### 8. Scale Over Time ###
- Reinvest earnings: Use your initial royalties to invest in better tools, paid advertising, or professional services (e.g., editing, cover design).
- Expand your catalog: Publish more books in the same niche to build a portfolio and increase income.
### Tips for Success ###
- Focus on quality: Even with $0 start-up, ensure your book is well-written, edited, and professionally presented.
- Optimize for SEO: Use relevant keywords in your title, subtitle, and book description to improve discoverability.
- Be consistent: Publishing multiple books increases your chances of success over time.
By following these steps, you can start your Amazon KDP business with no upfront costs and gradually grow it into a sustainable income stream.
Here's a step-by-step guide to help you get started:
### 1. Understand Amazon KDP ###
Amazon KDP is a self-publishing platform that allows you to publish eBooks and paperbacks for free. You earn royalties when your books sell, and there are no upfront costs to publish.
### 2. Choose a Niche ###
- Research profitable niches: Use free tools like Amazon’s Best Sellers Rank (BSR) or Kindle Store categories to identify trending topics.
- Focus on your expertise or interests: Writing about/Design something you know or enjoy reduces the need for expensive research.
### 3. Write/Design Your eBook ###
- Use free writing tools: Make your book using free tools like Google Docs, LibreOffice, or FocusWriter, Canva.
- Leverage AI tools: Use free AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude to help with ideas, outlining, drafting, or editing.
- Keep it short: Start with shorter books (10,000–20,000 words) to save time and effort or 50+ dot-to-dot pages
### 4. Design a Cover ###
- Use free design tools: Create a professional-looking cover using Canva (free version) or Kindle Cover Creator (available on KDP).
- Find free images: Use royalty-free image sites like Unsplash, Pexels, or Pixabay for cover art.
### 5. Format Your eBook ###
- Use free formatting tools: Format your eBook using Kindle Create (free tool from Amazon) or Reedsy’s free eBook formatted.
- Follow KDP guidelines: Ensure your book meets Amazon’s formatting requirements to avoid rejection.
### 6. Publish on Amazon KDP ###
- Create a KDP account: Sign up for free on the Amazon KDP website.
- Upload your eBook: Add your manuscript, cover, and book details (title, description, keywords, etc.).
- Set your price: Choose between 35% or 70% royalty options. For $0 start-up, price your eBook competitively (e.g., $2.99–$9.99).
### 7. Market Your eBook for Free ###
- Leverage social media: Promote your book on free platforms like Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
- Build an email list: Use free email marketing tools like Mailchimp (free tier) to connect with readers.
- Join online communities: Share your book in relevant forums, Facebook groups, or Reddit threads (without spamming).
- Use Amazon’s free tools: Enable Kindle Unlimited (KU) to reach readers in the KU subscription program.
### 8. Scale Over Time ###
- Reinvest earnings: Use your initial royalties to invest in better tools, paid advertising, or professional services (e.g., editing, cover design).
- Expand your catalog: Publish more books in the same niche to build a portfolio and increase income.
### Tips for Success ###
- Focus on quality: Even with $0 start-up, ensure your book is well-written, edited, and professionally presented.
- Optimize for SEO: Use relevant keywords in your title, subtitle, and book description to improve discoverability.
- Be consistent: Publishing multiple books increases your chances of success over time.
By following these steps, you can start your Amazon KDP business with no upfront costs and gradually grow it into a sustainable income stream.
Self Publishing | Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
Canva can be used to make your book covers. Or if you're making a simple dot-to-dot book, crossword, wordseach, etc book, you can design it in Canva. Check the Youtube video for an example on how to do this.
Canva
Watch this Youtube video on how you can make use of Amazon KDP to make money starting with $0. This video shows you how to quickly make simple dot-to-dot books instead of writing full on stories.
Now you won't immediately earn over $1000/day as the video thumbnail and title suggests, but that's just the potential if you do a really and proper good job.
Now you won't immediately earn over $1000/day as the video thumbnail and title suggests, but that's just the potential if you do a really and proper good job.
The New Way To Make Money With Canva Ai ($1,370+/Day)
Youtube Shorts/Tiktok
This will be your main posting platform. You are going to have to stay consistent and deliver high quality videos
YouTube
Expand to see full description on how to use YT Studios.
YouTube Studio is a comprehensive platform designed to help content creators manage their YouTube channels, engage with their audience, and grow their presence on the platform. It also provides opportunities for creators to monetize their content thr...
What You Can Do with YouTube Studio?
- Analyze performance: Track your channel and video performance using detailed metrics and analytics.
- Manage comments: View, reply to, and moderate comments on your videos to foster community engagement.
- Update content: Edit details for your videos, Shorts, and livestreams, such as titles, descriptions, and tags.
- Apply for the YouTube Partner Program: Unlock monetization features and start earning revenue from your content.
- Edit videos: Trim video clips, add music, subtitles, and end screens to enhance your content.
- Customize your channel: Personalize your channel’s appearance, layout, and branding to reflect your unique style.
- Sort and filter comments: Easily find and prioritize important conversations within your community.
YouTube Studio is accessible on both Android and iOS devices, making it convenient for creators to manage their channels on the go.
YouTube Studio is a comprehensive platform designed to help content creators manage their YouTube channels, engage with their audience, and grow their presence on the platform. It also provides opportunities for creators to monetize their content thr...
What You Can Do with YouTube Studio?
- Analyze performance: Track your channel and video performance using detailed metrics and analytics.
- Manage comments: View, reply to, and moderate comments on your videos to foster community engagement.
- Update content: Edit details for your videos, Shorts, and livestreams, such as titles, descriptions, and tags.
- Apply for the YouTube Partner Program: Unlock monetization features and start earning revenue from your content.
- Edit videos: Trim video clips, add music, subtitles, and end screens to enhance your content.
- Customize your channel: Personalize your channel’s appearance, layout, and branding to reflect your unique style.
- Sort and filter comments: Easily find and prioritize important conversations within your community.
YouTube Studio is accessible on both Android and iOS devices, making it convenient for creators to manage their channels on the go.
YouTube Studio
Example of a Youtube channel, that makes these quick videos and gets thousands to millions of views per short.
You basically are giving your audience a choice to make in these shorts between like bedrooms, toilets, houses, showers, you name it. It really isn't anything special but it is such a good technique because these videos interact with the viewers and ...
You basically are giving your audience a choice to make in these shorts between like bedrooms, toilets, houses, showers, you name it. It really isn't anything special but it is such a good technique because these videos interact with the viewers and ...
Youtube Channel Example: ImagineAFantasy. Use his Shorts as your template
You can also posts to Tiktok and quickly gain a following and make money of your content or send them to your youtube channel
TikTok
You can post your youtube video to instagram too, to get more people to your youtube channel
Instagram
Pixabay can be used to find thousands of high-quality images, videos, and gifs for free.
10,000+ Free Logos & Nature Images - Pixabay
Pexels can be used to find thousands of high-quality images, videos, and gifs for free.
Example in the second image
Example in the second image
Pexels
Microsoft Designer is a somewhat free image creator. Everytime you give it a prompt, it will generate 5 different images and you can choose the ones you like. You can give 15 prompts per day, so 75 images generated per day.
Microsoft Designer
You can use Leonardo ai to create your images, although you will have limited amounts with a free account
Leonardo AI
In my opinion, this is the best free tool to use for making high quality videos. You will use Capcut to edit your videos and add music in the background. Check the example on how your videos should look
CapCut