Start a Business with no financing

anybody knows how to start a business from absolute zero financing. I have an idea ( software related). I am a programmer too (but not very proficient to call myself brilliant). And I want to start a business out of the idea I've got. The sad news is I have no money at all to finance my startup. Also I am pretty bad in web designing as well for which I definitely need the support of somebody.

So, you are incompetent in your profession, how come you think you can run a business?

Here we go:

I am a programmer too (but not very proficient to call my self brilliant). And I want to start
a business out of the idea I've got. The sad news is I have no money at all to finance my
startup.

Go freelance. Land ONE contract, have money. Even without freelancing, programmers are not the low end of the food chain - you either are out of work (=incompetent, these days, or bad social skills), or live above your means. I work with a lot of freelance programmers and all of them have their own side projects they fund with their consulting work.

If you would say "I am a cook" I would understand that (they earn crappy), but if you look at the payment terms for halfway decent programemrs these days "i have no money" runs not really nice. You should have more than enough to finance quite a lot of work after saving up for 6-9 months, especially if you outsource some stuff to a competent hacker you find in Russia or the Ukraine.

Also I am pretty bad in web designing

Obvious. Most programmers are. That said, this is peanuts if you go to some well known websites and check out some international designers. 500 USD carry you quite far, and that should be your gross profit from a consulting job for one day.

You have an idea and you can program so stop waiting. Hosting and payment processing will be your biggest expenses. Just start building it and get as much feedback as possible. There's time to get tips on specific problems and you can hire outside help if you have scaling issues.

It may not turn into a business, but the experience you gain will pay off eventually.

If the business needs finance to get started, then you could approach an investor, sometimes referred to as an Angel or Dragon.

If you have a really good idea then you could attract an investor. There are many people with money that are willing to invest in good ideas, the hard part is convincing someone that it is indeed a good idea. A serious investor with a track record could also help you with other areas of business based on their experience.

A web design firm may be willing to do the work for a share of the revenues, but you would be giving up a share of the business in return for their investment.

Anyone serious about helping you to get started should be willing to do so on a confidential basis. There are agreements that can be put in place to cover this, but try to go with someone you know, or at least trust.

It depends on your idea. If it is a web based business, probably you can give a beginning by working the evenings and week-ends.

But, I can tell you one thing. If you want to make your business successful one, you should contribute your full tie into it.

You have two options. Either work alone, investing your evening and weekend time, or find one or two partners to work with you. The former option is interesting only if you are able to implement your whole idea in a reasonable time.

However, in most cases, to get a partner will be the best option. She'll invest her time also, increasing your production. And, she can complement your skills. You mentioned that you aren't good at design, so you could look for someone capable in this area. Or in marketing.

Boils down to this:

• Work a full or part time job so that you can eat
• Start developing a prototype
• Start networking locally until you find a suitable partner or company/individual that you can pay for your graphics.

When your prototype is done, figure out if you're going to boot strap it or seek funding. Having a prototype is essential for this calculation.