E-Commerce for Beginners: Start With $500 or Less

No big budget or tech skills needed. Here’s how to launch an online store and hit $1,000–$5,000/month in 6–12 months.

1. Choose a Simple Niche  

Small, lightweight, trending: print-on-demand (t-shirts, mugs), digital downloads (planners, templates), dropshipping accessories (phone cases, jewelry). Avoid heavy/expensive — shipping kills profits.

2. Set Up Store Under $100  

Shopify ($29/month) or WooCommerce (free with cheap hosting). Free theme + Canva for logos/banners.

3. Source Products With $200–$400  

Printful/Printify for POD (no inventory). AliExpress/Oberlo for dropshipping — test 10–20 products.

4. Get First Sales Free  

Post on Reddit, Pinterest, TikTok, Facebook groups. Share behind-the-scenes — people buy from real people.

5. Run $100 Targeted Ads  

Facebook/Instagram to lookalikes. Start $5–$10/day — test until profitable.

6. Reinvest Profits  

First $500 profit → better ads, more products, email list.

7. Automate Everything  

Apps for orders, chatbots for service — free up time.

8. Track Numbers Weekly  

Profit = sales - costs. Aim 30–50% margin.

9. Scale to $1,000–$5,000/Month  

Add email marketing, SEO, more products.

10. Stay Consistent 6 Months  

Most quit at month 2. Winners continue.

$500 is enough to start. The rest is work and patience. Your store opens today if you want it to.