When I first started out trying to get rich I would read as many self-help books as I could get my hands on. I particularly liked the real estate books as they advocated using OPM (other peoples money) and cash flow as a way to riches, as I had little of either, money or cash flow, that sounded promising. I also read the daily paper with special emphasis on the classified ads. I have bought and sold a lot of stuff over the years from reading the classifieds and using them to sell from. As I read the classified ads I got ideas of what I might try. Today I like craigs' list free ads on line (I use craigs list every month for something, buying, selling, or hiring) and I still buy a news paper everyday.
If you are just starting out and have little funds to work with going to auctions and buying what ever you can get cheap, then re-selling it using free classifieds, or the weekly classified newspapers, or maybe at the flea market is a great way to raise extra cash for what ever business idea is rattling around in your head. It is also a good way of working yourself out of debt.
I also would go to auctions, especially industrial auctions, fewer buyers show up at industrial auctions. I preferred the weekday auctions rather then weekend auctions for the same reason. I would buy anything I could get really cheap then find a way to sell it. I did not care what I was buying as long as it was super cheap. When Montgomery Wards went out of business I purchased 400 dress racks for $1 each. I spent the next eight Saturdays driving by dress shops and thrift stores peddling them for $15 each. I sold $4,000 worth before I got tired of messing with them and sold the rest by the pound.
Some times at auctions you can pick up the contents of the maintenance man's store room for as little as $40. I found that few bidders wanted to mess with junk rooms. You do not need to make up very many job-lot boxes to sell at the flea market to make a profit.
Here is a list of random ideas on making money that can be started on a she string, you have to start somewhere.
1. Buy at auctions and resell (I still do this from time to time, can't resist it)
2. Mow lawns (my lawn man makes $40k year)
3. Run a fire fireworks stand, your own or for one of the companies in the business. (I did this for fourteen years, made lots of money form fireworks sales.)
4. Start a catering business, renting a kitchen only when you have a job.
5. By furniture at moving sales and resale it at garage sales or the flea mkt. or craigs list. (I did this for years and was often the only buyer with cash so I got good deals.)
6. If you get set up to take credit cards you can re-sell at higher prices to more people.
7. Buy a car cheap and drive it with a “for sale” sign in the window. (I made a lot of money with this one).
8. Buy and sell equipment, restaurant, tractors golf carts, boats, RV's etc. It takes a lot of looking to buy cheap but there is money to be made, on used equipment.
9. Sell at craft shows and fairs, there are a lot of wholesale vendors online to buy goods from. Look high profit margin goods only, like jewelry and clothing.
10. Start a small web site selling whatever is available locally from manufactures or distributors in your town. You get to make the sale then buy the goods with the customers money.
11. Open a snow cone, shaved ice or raspa stand.
12. Sell cold water and juices at construction sites.
I could keep going but you get the idea. Where there is a will, there is a way. If you need more ideas. there are books on the market like “101 businesses you can start for under a $1,000” and the like. I stoped at a used book store and found three to look at.
The point is if you have the desire and will commit the time and effort, you can get started making yourself rich.