Businesses You Can Start Without a High School Diploma

Stuck in a dead end job? Did you recently get laid off? This economy is tough, especially if you don't have a high school diploma. Why not try to work for yourself? There are some businesses you can start without a high school diploma.

You may have heard of affiliate marketing before. This is where you match a product with an online customer and get a commission for doing so. Most large companies offer affiliate programs. This is a business that you can start for basically nothing (just need a computer).

Start off by researching products that interest you. You don't want to promote something that is really common. The key is finding a small niche that you can specialize in. Usually when people are ready to purchase something online they are looking for very specific products.

You do not need to start out with your own website, although as you get more experience, websites are great for generating income. There are companies such as Squidoo and HubPages that allow you to share all of your knowledge on a specific item or service. These websites will help the inexperienced beginner get started.

Another great way to make some extra money is with a camera. If you enjoy photography, there are a lot of opportunities for income.

If you are into taking pictures of objects then you can start a business taking real estate photos for real estate agents or even banks that have foreclosure properties. Agents usually are not very good at taking pictures and good photographs are typically the buyer's first look at a home. Some of the high volume agents in your area may not have time for photographing all of their listings. Plus, it may help them get a high end listing if they tell the seller that they have a professional photographer working for them.

Of course, there is the portrait end of the business. Family portraits and high school senior pictures are pretty easy to get started in. Most people know of someone who is graduating or a family that wants professional pictures taken. Even in a bad economy, people still want to have nice photographs they can look back on as years go by.

You can offer to do you first job without charging a sitting fee and just up charge the prints that they order. If you do a great job, the referrals will come.

So as you can see, there are some businesses you can start without a high school diploma. You don't need a lot of money to get started, you just need time and dedication.