Canadians are carrying more debt than ever before. With a slow economic recovery, many have come to a point of drowning in it. Good, hardworking people are finding themselves in desperate need of help to get their head above water. Many are turning to services like Debt.ca to reduce and manage their debt load, but additional income is still desperately needed.
Supplementing Your Income with a Free or Low-Cost Online Business
I started my first online businesses with no investment and self-taught skills, and to this day I invest very little money in them. The beauty of a web-based business is you can start one within your budget, even if your budget is zero. Whether you’re out of work or looking to supplement your income, starting an online business can provide a new source of money.
Some web-based businesses that require little or no monetary investment include:
- Blogging
- Infopreneur – Create & sell information products such as courses, white papers, reports, or even an eBook.
- Offer high-demand services such as writing, graphics design, marketing, editing, virtual assistance, or anything else you’re good at.
- Affiliate marketing
- Sell products without a website through social media, auctions, or sites like Amazon.ca.
- Sell your crafts on an established website like Etsy.com.
- Try drop-shipping online so you don’t have to invest in products.
It does require time to learn, establish, maintain and market an online business, but it is possible for virtually anyone. While you will find an extraordinary amount of information online, I have found the best way to start is with a book. A book takes you from start to finish, as opposed to grabbing ‘bits and bytes’ online. They’re also free through your local library.
Free Marketing for your Canadian Web-Based Business
Once your business is in place, there are many free marketing methods to choose from until you can invest in paid marketing.
- Write guest posts and articles
- Social media
- Organic search engine optimization
- Submit your website to free directories and search engines
- Ad trades with other websites or newsletters
- Blog Hops
- Online networking through business events, forums, social media, etc.
We have lots of information here on CanadiansInternet.com Business to help guide you. These posts will help you get started:
Checklist: Choosing a Website Host for your Canadian Business
10 Low-Cost Side Businesses you can Start Online from Home
10 Hot Product Niches to Sell or Drop Ship Online in Canada
If You’re Drowning, Grab a Hand
Managing and taming your debt load is an important first step in taking back control of your life and reducing stress. Expert help is available to Canadians through services that don’t involve bankruptcy, such as those provided by Debt.ca. They can slash your debt through creditor negotiation and empower you with a plan that gets you out of debt in record time. It can’t hurt to take advantage of a free consultation or check out their free debt calculators.
Is tackling debt your New Year’s resolution? Please tell us about it in the comments below.
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Melody McKinnon is an internet entrepreneur with 25 years of experience in a wide range of online business models, backed by a formal business education and enhanced by training and mentorship. She has owned or managed both educational and ecommerce websites. Her book, 7 Recession Proof Online Businesses to Start From Home, is available from all major ebook retailers.
Melody has worked with many businesses & brands in a multitude of capacities. She can often be found on CanadianDigitalMedia.com, CanadiansInternet.com, CanadianFamily.net, and AllNaturalPetCare.com, as well as other quality digital publications. Her content has earned reference links from highly-respected websites, magazines and university textbooks.
I hope to see more articles about financing a small business in Canada, thank you.
I paid off my car with a blog I sold. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Love your stuff…you make everything seem possible for everyone!
Canadian really need to get a grip and stop overspending but an income on the side would help too.
We’re thinking about using a debt service so thanks for mentioning that.
We can do much better than that! Some become millionaires online!
We take one step forward and two steps back at no fault of our own. Sometimes I think we’ll never make progress. Thanks for the tips!