Starting your own small business without large sums of business finance behind you doesn’t necessarily mean that it won’t be a successful and profitable venture. Some of the very best startup business ideas were born on extremely simple “service based” concepts.

When you’re young and have very few assets to your name, starting your own small business without any form of business finance can be a daunting proposition. The young entrepreneurial minds among us would have probably figured out a way around that hurdle, but for those that haven’t – here are ten small business ideas that you could put into action tomorrow with little or no financial investment on your part:

1. Baby Sitting / Nanning

Alright, so you could argue that this isn’t a particularly unique idea, but how many of us have family members or friends with small children? – There is serious potential here to work several days/nights a week at different homes in and around your neighbourhood. *No Financial Investment Required.

2. Car Valet Service

Let’s face it, there’s no shortage of vehicles on the road today and each and every one of them could do with a clean from time to time. You could run this business with absolutely no financial investment on your behalf, use the owners water, soap and brushes and you’re away! *Small or Little Financial Investment Required.

3. Pool Cleaning

Perhaps not so much for the UK readers among us (sunshine is a rarity at the best of times!), you could start your own pool cleaning business if you live in an affluent neighbourhood with a good quantity of private pools. This is something you could do part-time on the weekends or between school hours. *No Financial Investment Required.

4. Personal Tutor

If you have a talent, why not make money out of it? You are now part of the new generation of technology embracing human being’s! Many of our elders aren’t so knowledgeable on the subject. You could start a tutor business and teach the general public how to use a computer? *No Financial Investment Required.

5. Knife Sharpening

Now this is a rather unique one – How about running a door-to-door service sharpening people’s kitchen knives? *Small or Little Financial Investment Required.

6. Sports Equipment Refurbishment

The majority of us play a sport, if not multiple sports. Most sports involve some form of equipment and that equipment from time to time requires repairs. How about servicing sporting equipment? *Small or Little Financial Investment Required.

7. Gardener / Lawn Cutting Service

Perhaps one of the most popular small startup businesses for young entrepreneurs is grass cutting. You could use your parent’s mower (providing you have their permission) and cut the lawns of local residents. *Small or Little Financial Investment Required.

8. Tidying / Renovation Work

Quite often people need a hand with cleaning out their closets or re-arranging their shirts and shoes. Why not lend them a hand and charge for it by the hour? *No Financial Investment Required.

9. Review Movies, Products etc.

Providing you are adequately versed in a language, you could review movies that you have seen or perhaps products that you are using. You could then submit these reviews online and get paid for it. Once again, you are using your own skills here, there is; *No Financial Investment Required.

10. Pet Sitting

Something that is becoming more and more common now is pet sitting. As mad as it sounds to some of us, people do actually employ people to look after their pets while they are away. Now I don’t just mean kennels, I mean physically sitting with the pet, feeding it and so on. Cash in and offer this service to local residents. *No Financial Investment Required.

These are just a few examples of potential startup businesses that you could develop with little or zero financial investment on your behalf. If a lack of startup business finance was an excuse for not starting your own business before you read this, it shouldn’t be now.

Get to it – Good luck!