Sunday, July 8, 2018

75 Ideas for Businesses You Can Launch for Cheap or Free



Today, many people today are looking to leave the daily grind for something that feeds their passion. People do not want to retire at the age of 60 (or older) to look back on life and feel they have wasted it.
Luckily, it is now increasingly easy to start a business from scratch without spending a fortune. Below, I've highlighted 75 varied business ideas you can start cheaply from the comforts of your own home. Some of the business ideas listed require nothing more than an internet connection, while others demand a level of licensing or a specific set of vocational skills...the choice is yours!

1. Making Chatbots 

I am quoted on entrepreneur.com as  "ChatBot expert Murray Newlands commented that "Where 10 years ago every company needed a website and five  years ago every company needed an app, now every company needs to embrace messaging with AI and chatbots." That brings opportunity and jobs. You can learn to make them for free without coding for companies.
Chatbots are in and it has reached the point where every business needs one. Chatbots have become a huge opportunity for companies to engage with their customers, gather data, and improve their marketing and customer care efforts. You can start your own chatbot creation business easily and quickly without needing to code. I created the free to use tool  Chattypeople.com but there are lots of others out there. All you need to do is:
  • Read about bots and their functions
  • Create an account 
  • Learn about the company who needs a chatbot
  • Create their bot through 
  • Launch it through Facebook Messenger
  • No coding or long courses needed
The platform is great, as it:
  • Works with Facebook Messenger and comments
  • Can push promotions to customers on demand
  • Recognizes variations on trigger words
  • Can process orders from Facebook
  • Integrates with all main payment processing platforms

2. Bookkeeping Services

Are you great with numbers and want to work from the comforts of home? To become a freelance bookkeeper, you do not need to be a Certified Public Accountant, but you do need to be good with numbers. There are lots of free to use online invoicing toolssuch as Sighted.com and online payments tools like Due.com. Some services you could offer include:
  • Creating balance sheets
  • Providing income statements
  • Creating various monthly, quarterly, or annual financial reports

3. Personal or Virtual Assistant

Although personal and virtual assistant jobs do not sound glamorous, they do pay well. If you have already held this job in an office, you will find the digital version allows for a lot more freedom. Use services like Upwork.com to find clients. You can choose:
  • Your clients
  • Your hours
  • Your hourly, daily, or monthly pay rate

4. Marketing Services

Marketing does involve a certain level of background knowledge. That said, if you are not experienced, investing in an online course is not only cheap but will equip you with the adequate tools to start a solo digital marketing agency you could expand in the future. There are lots of new marketing fields opening up such as influencer marketing.
Companies are always looking for freelancers able to provide marketing copy that is SEO-friendly and can transform website visitors into leads and, eventually, customers. In addition to offering optimized copy, you could offer to upload the content to their websites and improve their SEO further with:
  • Meta descriptions
  • The right titles
  • The correct keyword density
  • Tags and categories
  • Relevant images with SEO captions and alt tags

5. Social Media Consultant

Who doesn’t love Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram? Fancy yourself to be a bit of whiz but don’t have any formal training? Twitter and Google, among other platforms, offer complete professional courses with recognized certifications that require little to no money. Social media is also a business that has unlimited potential with a client base that can span across the world. This trend is unlikely to die soon, if ever, and new platforms are being released every year, making the possibilities for expansion limitless. You can use social media management tools to make your job easy.

6. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is extremely easy to get into and involves you earning a commission by promoting other companies' products and services. Basically, you choose a product you like, promote it, and make a profit on each sale that stems from your marketing efforts. An affiliate marketing business is especially easy to start if:
  • You have a blog or website of your own
  • You can prove your success through visitor statistics
  • You have already successfully undertaken affiliate marketing and can show this to your potential clients

7. Tester or Reviewer

Individuals or startups often look for people to review their products to encourage others to buy them. You can either get started with a profile on freelancing websites or approach companies directly, offering them a review in exchange for a monetary reward by becoming an influencer. Even better, if you have your own website or blog, you could write entire posts about their products, thus allowing you to charge more money in the long run and build a portfolio with tangible results to show future clients.

8. Secretarial Services

Similar to virtual assisting, remote secretarial services require little to no experience. All you need is:
  • Strong organizational skills
  • Good communication skills
  • Good time management
  • A high level of autonomy
Your day-to-day tasks as a freelancing secretary will typically include:
  • Booking meetings
  • Organizing calendars
  • Replying to emails
  • Putting together presentations
  • Answering phone calls

9. Online Dating Consultant

Have you got a way with words? Or have you found your Mr. or Mrs. Right and want to share how you got there? You can become someone's wingman or woman and help them find love by becoming an online dating consultant. This type of consulting comes with a large level of responsibility, as you will be guiding someone's love life. Daily tasks include:
  • Acting as an account manager on dating sites
  • Writing profiles
  • Offering telephone updates on their matchmaking status

10. Ebay Assistant or Seller

An Ebay assistant or seller is similar to being a marketing affiliate. The key difference is that instead of marketing the product, you are selling it directly to the customer. When selling for others on Ebay or any other platform, you will sell the product and keep a commission as compensation.
Unfortunately, this type of job comes with risks. Commonly, scam artists attract Ebay sellers and use fake shipping papers to convince them to send payments. Unfortunately, even if you are scammed, you will be held responsible for your customers not receiving their items. Always remember to:
  • Get to know the distributor
  • Keep all payments in your e-wallet until the customer confirms having received the parcel
  • Report any suspicious activity
  • Do not share any of your banking details

11. Application Developer

New applications are launched on a daily basis and if you believe you have the skills to create your own and a unique enough idea, you should do it! Aside from the fact that you will have to invest little to no money to get started, it is far less time consuming than the average 9 to 5. Once you have created your application, couple it with the right marketing strategy and you'll be making money in your sleep. The best part about developing applications is that you can do it from anywhere in the world.

12. Website Developer

We live in a digital world where every business needs a website to drive their traffic to in order to make sales. If you have the skills, you could enter an industry that will never die. You can also start small by creating websites on platforms such as Wordpress. If you want to take your web-building skills to the next level, you can learn the language of website creation through Codecademy.com, where you will be able to learn how to incorporate personalized:
  • Shopping carts
  • Product pages
  • Galleries
  • Blogs
  • Services pages
  • Feedback forms

13. Internet Security Consultant

Hacking, scamming, and viruses are just some of the security threats on the web today. If you know your stuff, you could make very good money consulting businesses, especially those who handle sensitive customer information and want to keep it as safe as possible.

14. Graphic Designer

Companies are always in search for branding that tells people about what they do. If you can follow company guidelines and customer needs, all you will need to get started is a computer and applications such as Photoshop or Illustrator. Types of media you will be responsible for creating include:
  • Logos
  • Fliers
  • Newsletters
  • Magazines
  • Information sheets
  • Letters
  • Advertisements

15. Desktop Publisher

Desktop publishers typically use publishing software to create:
  • Magazines
  • Books
  • Marketing newsletters
  • Other marketing materials
In order to offer a full service, you could also write the content or hire a content writer and create your own small team.

16. Designing Business Plans

Having a eureka moment is great, but it can be hard to put that idea down on paper in a way that will speak to a potential investor. If you have owned your own business in the past or earned a business degree, why not help those with a eureka moment start something they love? Plan your fee around the various packages you are prepared to offer your clients. You can either:
  • Create an electronic copy that your client can customize
  • Keep a copy on file and continue customizing it according to their needs
  • Create various templates that you can show your customers and how you can customize the templates for             them accordingly

17. Tax Consultant

Companies big and small pay good money to have their taxes prepared for them. It gives them a chance to focus on the everyday operations of their business. If you have the appropriate experience, you could set yourself up as a freelancer; however, by starting with a tax preparation franchise, you will receive courses, seminars, and training.

18. Blogger or Vlogger

Are you an expert in a specific field? From travel, fashion, cooking, to DIY, and removal services, if you know how to do something particularly well, why not tell the world through a blog or vlog? All you will need is a computer and a good quality camera. You can make money by offering advertising space and reviews of products on your platform.

19. Informational Product Creator

Similar to blogging or vlogging, creating informational products is your chance to put your expertise in an e-book or some form of digital format and selling it to the online world. Find a niche that's not been overdone and start writing. You can sell your information piece on platforms such as Amazon Books.

20. Resume Writer

No matter the experience, there are very few people that enjoy or are good at writing their own resume. Individuals pay very good money to have their personal statements put on paper for them. It will cost you nothing to get setup and once you get the hang of it, you should be able to average a good hourly or daily pay rate.

21. Domain Name Buyer

As the name suggests, all you need to do is buy domain names you believe people will want and sell them for a profit. You will need to be able to:
  • Identify profitable domain names
  • Identify domain names that are memorable
  • Learn about SEO and keyword optimization

22. Flipping Websites

Flipping a website is the art of buying an already existing website, improving it, and selling it. With the right web development skills, it is a very easy and cheap trade to explore. That said, you need to be able to identify websites that have the potential for improvement.

23. Translator

Translating is one of the easiest and most profitable industries to delve into if you are proficient in more than one language. Sought out on a global scale, translators do not need any capital to get started and can earn a salary of $40,000 a year (minimum) depending on the size of the company you are hired by and the length of the contract they offer.

24. Financial Advisor

Although the number of people wanting to start their own business has grown, many still do not know how to organize themselves financially. Start by getting your Certified Financial Planner (CFP) certificate to show clients you are credible. On the other hand, if you already have the experience, you can start by advising individuals and then grow your empire to consult for larger organizations.

25. Editorial Services

An editorial services business is easy to start, requires no initial monetary investment, and has a huge potential for expansion. From small and large businesses to authors and students, your client base could be endless. You can offer a variety of services, some of which include:
  • Copywriting
  • Ghostwriting
  • Magazine article writing
  • Newspaper article writing
  • Web content writing
  • Proofreading
  • Editing
  • Indexing
  • Book writing
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Relax






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Answer to an email

*I received an email asking what did I believe in and why.
 I believe in God, Allah, Budha, basketball, orange, apple or whatever label you have chosen for the Original Creator.
 However, I do Not believe in "organized religion"! Every man or woman that has ever walked this earth was created in a "specific time and place". People get in their temples, churches, synagogues, etc. and huddle up "thinking" they're all going to some mass reunion in the sky.
 Yet does anyone ever take the time to think that your idea of heaven is another man's idea of hell? I for one do not want to be around my Catholic school teachers, the Christian self-righteous, absolutely NO Jehova Witnesses and I damn sure don't want to end up with 77 virgins in a fuckin tent with no A/C or camel for escape!
 You can keep your bullshit, my "destination" will be as specific as my creation, thanks.





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HOW TO STOP YOUR SMART TV FROM SPYING ON YOU


THIS WEEK, VIZIO, which makes popular, high-quality, affordable TV sets, agreed to pay a $2.2 million fine to the FTC. As it turns out, those same TVs were also busily tracking what their owners were watching, and shuttling that data back to the company’s servers, where it would be sold to eager advertisers.
That’s every bit as gross as it sounds, but Vizio’s offense was one of degree, not of kind. While other smart TV platforms don’t sell your viewing data at the IP level to the highest bidder without consent, like Vizio did, many do track your habits on at least some level. And even the companies that have moved on from ACR—like LG when it embraced webOS—have older models that liberally snoop.
But good news! There are ways to keep your smart TV from the prying eyes of the company that made it. In fact, there’s one absurdly easy way that will work for any television you can buy. Let’s start there.

Dumb It Down

The single most foolproof way to keep an internet-connected TV from sending data to far-flung ad tech servers around the globe? Disconnect it from the internet. And honestly, you should be doing that anyway.
Think about what you’re really getting from the “smart” part of your high-tech television. A shoddy interface? Voice commands that work half the time, if you’re lucky? A few bonus ads popping up in unexpected places? No thank you! Go to Settings, find the Wi-Fi On/Off toggle, and shut it down.
That doesn’t mean you have to live a Netflix-free life. But you should very much opt for a streaming box or dongle for your televised internet interests. They’re more user-friendly, often more feature-packed, and while some still track your viewing habits pretty aggressively—looking at you, Roku—they at least give you a little more control, or at the very least act the way you’d expect them to. Apple TV, for instance, hardly tracks you at all, as is in keeping with Apple’s stance on privacy generally. Chromecast and Android TV are both Google products, which, well, let’s just say they’re subject to the same privacy agreement you sign away for all of your Google needs.
The one arguable exception here? TV sets that have absorbed traditional streaming box platforms, like Roku TVs from TCL and Hisense, or Sony’s Android TV models. On these the experience—including the privacy strengths and weaknesses—are practically identical to what you’d get out of a separate set-top box anyway.
If you insist on keeping your smart TV hooked up to the big bad internet regardless, here’s a quick primer on how to limit what it tracks by brand.

Vizio

The good news about the Vizio settlement, if you happen to have one of the 11 million data-collecting sets they sold over the last few years, is that the company has to delete all of the data it collected prior to March 1, 2016. Vizio also says that the setting has been disabled on all of its TVs with the Vizio Internet Apps platform, but just in case, here’s how to cut it off yourself.
From your TV’s Menu option, head to System. Select Reset & Admin, choose Smart Interactivity, and hit the right arrow to toggle over to Off.
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How to stop your devices from listening to (and saving) everything you say


Yes, voice technology is amazing. You can ask your phone a question. You can talk to your speaker system and even book an Uber. With the right setup, you can verbally lock the doors in your house, dim the lights, and change the thermostat. All across America, people are embracing their oral fixation.
Virtual assistants are handy, but they’re always listening. As more manufacturers and developers jump onto the audio tracking bandwagon, you may wonder how much your devices are recording. And what happens to the audio files they gather?
Worst of all: apps that use ultrasonic data to profile you. You don’t hear the tones, but your device does. More about that later.
Important to know:
Some regular apps are designed to spy and report back recordings. These apps can be easily installed on a phone. Click here for five spy apps that could be on your phone watching and listening right now.
Creeped out? Many people are.
Lots of consumers don’t trust their virtual assistants and wonder how to switch them off. If you're worried about the privacy risks of your smartphone's always-on microphone, here are tips on how to turn it off:

Facebook

When you put the Facebook app on your phone, it requests access to your microphone. Why? Facebook needs to record your voice when you shoot live video. But some people are wary of this. Does the app only record you when you’re on camera? Or is Facebook “listening” through your microphone?
Facebook denies these claims, and there is no solid evidence to support this fear. But you are absolutely welcome to sever the tie between app and microphone. Many people have no use for this access anyway, so there’s nothing to lose by switching it off.
If you are an iPhone user, go to Settings >> Facebook and slide the Microphone switch to the left, so it turns from green to white. That turns it off. Alternatively, you can go to Settings >> Privacy >> Microphone, then look for Facebook and do the same. Note that you can toggle the mic on and off for other apps, too.
For Android users: Try Settings >> Applications >> Application Manager >> look for Facebook >> Permissions >> Turn off the mic.
If you do decide to shoot video later on, just return to those settings and re-establish a connection to your mic. You can always switch it off again when you’re done.

Amazon Echo

Is Amazon Echo always listening? Alexa is activated when it detects one of its wake words, which are "Alexa," "Amazon," "Computer," or "Echo." You'll know that the device is ready for a command when the outer ring at the top glows blue. But until that happens, Alexa always has open ears, waiting to be addressed.
When activated, Alexa allows you to search the web, play music, and even control other smart home devices you've added to your home network. For example, with the right smart gadgets, you can turn off the lights in another room, lock the front door, turn up the thermostat, etc.
The downside is that Amazon keeps an audio recording of every voice command you've issued to Alexa. When you give a command to Alexa, a recording of that command is stored on Amazon's servers.
According to Amazon, there is also a fraction of a second of audio before the wake word that is stored along with each recording. That fraction of a second gets saved along with your main command, and the recording ends after the command has been processed.
I was surprised when I checked my Amazon Echo recordings.
In one recording, I was explaining why I wasn’t taking a deal on a commercial building that I had for sale. You should take a moment and check your recordings.

Siri

Like the Echo, Siri is always attentive, even when you’ve forgotten your iPhone can hear you. With iOS 8, Apple introduced the "Hey Siri" wake phrase, so you can summon Siri without even touching your iPhone. If you turn this feature on, this means your iPhone's mic is always listening, waiting for the phrase "Hey Siri."
Apple says this is processed locally on the device and your iOS device does not start recording your voice until it hears "Hey Siri." Once your request is recorded, it then uploads the audio file to Apple's servers for processing.
But that may still give you the willies, and luckily, you don’t have to disable Siri completely to stop the “Hey Siri” feature. Here’s the easiest way to turn off "Hey Siri:" Navigate to your iOS device's Settings>> General >> Siri, then toggle Allow "Hey Siri" to off.

Google

Google wants more voice-activated tech, and the company recently released its latest masterpiece, “OK Google.” This serves as Google’s new wake phrase, just like “Alexa” and “Hey Siri,” calling the attention of Google Assistant on Google Home speakers, Android smartphones, and the Chrome browser.
Every time you use "OK Google" or use another voice-controlled function, your request is recorded and the snippets are saved to your Google account.
Luckily, Google introduced a new My Account tool that lets you access your recordings and delete them if you want. You can also tell Google to stop recording your voice for good.
Here’s how to turn off the "OK Google " wake phrase: On Android, just go to Settings >> Google >> Search & Now >> Voice and turn “Ok Google” detection off.

Cortana

Finally, there is Cortana, the voice-activated system from Microsoft. Similar to the others on this list, Cortana can answer questions, do searches, set appointments, and open applications. The wake phrase is "Hey Cortana." Just like the others, Cortana has raised some eyebrows.
Here’s how to turn off "Hey Cortana:" Open Cortana on your Windows computer, select the Notebook icon in the right column, click on Settings then toggle "Hey Cortana" to off.

Ultrasonic Technology

Brace yourself, because ultrasonic technology is hard to fathom. Some ingenious programmers create apps that can track high-frequency sounds. Humans can’t hear them, but certain receivers can. Your smartphone or tablet can spy on you using sound waves you don’t even know are there.
Why would anyone want to collect these ultrasonic sounds? Because marketers can use the information they collect to tailor their advertisements to you. The apps are looking for “beacons,” tiny auditory clues that suggest where you shop and what you like to buy. Marketers then pair browser cookies to track a single user's behavior across multiple devices.
In fact, hundreds of Android apps are already using ultrasonic sounds to track user behavior. These behaviors include physical location and TV viewing habits. Click here if you want to know more about this new tracking.
In response, Google announced that Android apps that use ultrasonic tracking would be banned or suspended. Developers will have to prove they adhere to Google Play Store's updated privacy policies. The new policies require developers to disclose an app's ultrasonic features and ask a user's permission before accessing a gadget's mic. So if you're worried about ultrasonic tracking, check the permissions before you install an Android app.
Cutting off your microphone may give you peace of mind, but remember that disabling mics make speakers and virtual assistants much less useful. The ever-listening nature of these smart virtual assistants is what makes them compelling. Hopefully, developers will soon find a good compromise between security and ease of use.

HAVE YOU TALKED ABOUT SOMETHING WITH A FRIEND AND SUDDENLY YOU SEE ADS ONLINE FOR THE SAME PRODUCTS?

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Computer vs. Smartphone


Many of the tasks you can do on a computer, you can also do on a smartphone or tablet. The computing power of a flagship smartphone generally rivals the best laptops and desktop computers of about five years ago. However, with the aid of multiple processors, 6+ gigabytes of RAM, and powerful graphics hardware, the best smartphones and tablets can be as powerful as a mid-range desktop computer. Also, they can be just as expensive.
If you're deciding whether your next device upgrade should be a desktop computer or a mobile device, there are some key points to consider. Below is a chart that highlights some of the key differences and similarities of each.

Most users today have both a smartphone and a computer in their home. They use a smartphone for phone calls, messaging, browsing the Internet, reading e-mail, and other small jobs and use a computer for more complicated projects or work. If you are trying to decide between only a smartphone or a computer, also consider a tablet or a hybrid computer, which offers the best of both a laptop and tablet.
Finally, if you're considering a smartphone but don't think you'll use the Internet much, we highly recommend purchasing a feature phone instead of a smartphone to avoid monthly data costs.

Additional information

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