How To Start A Business With No Money (Step by Step)

A lot of people ask me:
“How would you get started if you had no brand, no money, and you had to build an audience and get leads for a new business idea—from scratch?”

That’s exactly what I’m going to walk you through here. Getting leads is one of the hardest parts of starting out. It feels like trying to push a giant stone wheel—it barely budges at first. You put in all this effort, and it barely moves an inch.

Meanwhile, you look at someone who’s a bit further along in the entrepreneurial journey, and for them, that wheel just spins effortlessly. It feels like it’s on autopilot. So how do you even start when you don’t have any momentum?

Let’s walk through it.

The Brutal Truth About Starting With Nothing

Some of what I’m going to share, you’ll love. Some of it? Not so much. Because the truth is: it’s hard. But it’s honest—and it works.

First, Forget About Paid Advertising

If you’re starting from zero, paid advertising and sponsorships are not the move. Why? Because they’re accelerators, not initiators.

Let me explain. If you’ve already nailed your value proposition, know your audience inside out, and you’ve packaged your offer beautifully with a killer pricing strategy—then yes, running ads will work. Ads will accelerate success when the fundamentals are in place.

But if you’re even slightly off—your message is unclear, your offer is weak—ads will accelerate your failure. Fast. It’ll be an expensive lesson. Think of it like a plane missing a few rivets. If you hit full speed, it’ll tear itself apart.

So, we need to get things right before we spend a penny. And here’s how:

The Three-Step Strategy (With Zero Budget)

There are three crucial things you need to get in place:

1. A Clear Call to Action

You need to give people something to do. Like inviting them to a party—you need a date, a location, a theme, and a reason to show up.

In business, this could be:

• A waiting list
• A scorecard or quiz
• An online event
• A discussion group
• A pre-registration form

Whatever it is, you need a clear call to action. Something that says:
“Here’s what I’m doing—and here’s what I want you to do next.”

2. Signature Content

Next, you need signature content. This is a piece that clearly communicates what your business is about. It lays out:

• The problem you solve
• Your unique solution
• Your background
• Some proof or traction
• Research or real-world case studies

Think of this as the thesis of your business, wrapped into one valuable, well-structured piece of content.

3. Cold Outreach

Here comes the part nobody loves: cold outreach.

This is where you directly message people you don’t know, and invite them to check out your signature content and take action.

I get it—this goes against everything we’re taught as kids. “Don’t talk to strangers,” right? And if you’re in a place like the UK, Switzerland, or Germany, this can feel especially uncomfortable.

But if you want to start a business with no money, you have to step outside your comfort zone. This is where you build real momentum.

Let’s break it down…

How to Do Cold Outreach (That Works)

Cold outreach should lead people into your signature content and then toward your call to action.

Here’s how:

• Step 1: Identify your audience.
  Target people loosely based on things like hashtags they use, accounts they follow, job titles, or shared demographics.
• Step 2: Craft your message.
  Start by telling a short story about something you’ve done. For example:

“Hey, over the past five years we ran a quiz campaign that generated 9,000 leads and over $20 million in sales. We’re now breaking down how we did it in a free workshop. If you’re interested, I’ve put it all into a signature content piece and an intro event.”

You’re not asking them to buy anything. You’re simply offering value. That’s it.

Important: Talk About the Past, Not the Future

The message should focus on what you’ve already done, not what you plan to do. That builds credibility.

Yes, You’ll Need to Send a Lot of Messages

So how many DMs are we talking?

Hold tight…
3,000.

Yep, you might need to send around 3,000 cold DMs. I’ve done this myself—even when I had budget and experience.

When I launched ScoreApp, I didn’t run ads until I tested my messaging. I sent 3,000 DMs to people on Instagram based on the hashtags they used and the accounts they followed.

Here’s how it broke down:

• 150 people booked for my intro event
• 75 showed up
• 15–20 made purchases
• I made around £15,000 in initial revenue

And now I knew exactly who was responding, who was buying—so I could run ads confidently. It was methodical, intentional, and it worked.

Can You Outsource This?

Short answer? No.
Long answer? Please don’t.

This is where you learn what messages resonate, who’s interested, and who’s buying. You can’t outsource that learning.

Even a billionaire I know—who sold his company and made it big—started a new venture and did dozens of one-on-one sales meetings himself. He wanted to be close to the customer. He didn’t need to do that, but he knew how valuable it is.

Entrepreneurship isn’t always sexy. Sometimes it’s gritty, hands-on, and tough. But if you’re willing to roll up your sleeves, this is how you build something real.

Final Thoughts

If you’re starting a business from scratch—with no money—this is the playbook:

• Create a clear call to action
• Build signature content that communicates your value
• Get your hands dirty with cold outreach
• Track results, refine, and only then think about scaling with ads

Yes, it’s hard work. But it works.

If you found this helpful, share it with someone else who’s just getting started. Let’s help more entrepreneurs get that heavy wheel spinning.