Starting your own business and becoming self employed can seem overwhelming in the least but it doesn’t have to be. There are many businesses that can be started for next to no initial investment. This can be a great alternative to finding a felon friendly job. Starting your own business means that your felony conviction(s) will not hold you back.

We are not going to sugar coat anything here, it takes a lot of work and dedication to run a successful business. Don’t feel forced to be self employed just because you are a felon, success depends on having a passion for what you do! Skills, knowledge and determination are close seconds though.

Cheap and easy start ups

Below you will find information about the easiest and most low cost business you can start on your own. We have every bit of information you will need to get started in the links below including small business insurance information. The estimated start up costs for each of our business are listed below assuming you have no materials or tools on hand to start with.

Landscaping & Lawn Care Business

• Start up Cost $250
• Income potential: $500 – $3,000 weekly

Landscaping is a great business to start as long as you do not live in a desert. Obviously you must be comfortable with working outside, mowing, string trimming and doing yard clean ups. The work is hard but the start up costs are low and the business can be grown rather easily.

Here are some great places to start if you have an interest in starting a landscape business.

• The Landscaping Employee Trap – A youtube channel by Keith Kalfas that is all about his first three years of starting his own landscaping business. He started with almost no money and at the point of eviction from his apartment. Learn from his mistakes before you make them yourself.
• Read, learn and read more befor you ever get started. Start here with this article about how to start a landscape business.
• Make sure you understand the costs of starting a landscaping business. Look on Craigslist, Amazon and pawn shops for cheap deals to get you started.
• Make sure that you understand the business side of your new business and not just the physical part. Take classes if needed about taxes, self employment and expenses.

Cleaning Services Business

• Start up cost$200
• Income potential: $500 – $2,000 weekly

Starting a cleaning business is relatively easy and the start up costs are very low. If you know how to clean really well and don’t hate doing it you can make a good chunk of change depending on where you live.

Here are some great places to start if you have an interest in starting a cleaning business.

• Here is a great article about how to start a cleaning business. Remember that it is very important to have full knowledge of every aspect of  a business.
• Patti Page has had very successful cleaning business for over 17 years and also has blog about everything you need to know. This is an excellent source of information!

Freelance writing/creativity Business

• Start up cost $0
• Income potential: $500 – $1,200 weekly

If you are a good writer, graphic artist or have another creative side to you very well may make a lot of money freelancing. There are tons of people out there that will buy your work and services. You can start today by checking out our review of Upwork, a website that connects freelancers with people that need work done. No background checks! You can also read more about how to start freelancing here.

Website Design Business (No you don’t have to be a techy)

• Start up cost $75
• Income potential: Unlimited

Ever think about what it would be like to design your own website and make money off of it? Maybe you haven’t but but we will take you step by step and show you exactly how to build a profitable website. You do not have to be super tech savy but having fundamental knowledge of computers and the internet helps. The earning potential is truly unlimited!

Building websites for yourself or clients can be very profitable but will take a lot of dedication to gain all the needed skills. We suggest that you take a look at some of these resources.

• How does a website make money? This is something you need to understand of the bat so you can see the worth of building a website. Start here and read this article.
• Don’t buy guides and tutorials, everything you need to know is available online for free.
• This is a great article on how to build a profitable website. READ IT!

Who should start there own business?

Anyone that is self motivated and has the drive to follow through on everything they do. We have seen many felons find that being self employed was their best move of their life. It is important to know that it takes time to build a business and the first year is really hard, the second year is tough and the third year you will either be very successful or a failure. Being a failure is not a bad thing and needs to be looked at as learning experience.

We have made our tutorials to be user friendly as possible, loaded with the information you need to be successful and have also provided other helpful external resources for you. Make sure that you read everything possible about the business you want to go into and make a plan on paper. Planning and knowledge will be key factors to your success as a self employed felon!