Author: Laura

10 Low‑Cost Business Ideas You Can Start This Weekend

Posted on | by Laura

Starting a business doesn’t have to be expensive, complicated, or overwhelming. In fact, some of the most successful entrepreneurs began with nothing more than a laptop, a simple idea, and a willingness to take the first step.

If you’ve been feeling the nudge to start something of your own — whether for extra income, creative expression, or long‑term independence — here are 10 low‑cost business ideas you can launch as soon as this weekend.

Each one is beginner‑friendly, flexible, and scalable… and most require little more than your time and creativity.

1. Start a Digital Product Shop

Digital products are one of the easiest and most affordable businesses to start.
You can create:

  • printables
  • planners
  • templates
  • digital stickers
  • clipart
  • journaling pages

Platforms like Etsy, Gumroad, and your own website make it simple to get started.
Why it works: No inventory, no shipping, and unlimited earning potential.

2. Become a Virtual Assistant

If you’re organized, reliable, and enjoy helping others, virtual assistance is a perfect entry point into online business.

You can offer:

  • inbox management
  • scheduling
  • customer support
  • social media posting
  • simple admin tasks

Why it works: You can start with just a laptop and a clear list of services.

3. Offer Bookkeeping for Micro‑Businesses

Small creators, Etsy sellers, and local service providers desperately need simple bookkeeping help — and most don’t want to hire a big accounting firm.
If you understand basic bookkeeping (or want to learn), this is a high‑demand niche.

Why it works: Low competition + recurring monthly income.
Pro tip: Tools like GnuCash make it easy to manage clients without expensive software.

4. Create Social Media Content for Small Businesses

Every business needs content, but not every business owner has the time or skill to create it.

You can offer:

  • Instagram posts
  • Reels
  • Canva templates
  • branded graphics

Why it works: Businesses will pay well for consistent, quality content.

5. Teach a Mini‑Workshop or Online Class

You don’t need a full course to get started.
A simple 60–90 minute workshop can be enough to launch your teaching business.

You could teach:

  • Canva basics
  • budgeting
  • Etsy setup
  • journaling
  • digital art
  • beginner bookkeeping

Why it works: You can pre‑sell the workshop before creating anything.

6. Launch a Print‑on‑Demand Shop

With print‑on‑demand, you design the artwork and a third‑party company prints and ships the products.

You can sell:

  • shirts
  • mugs
  • journals
  • tote bags
  • stickers

Why it works: No inventory, no upfront cost, and endless creative freedom.

7. Start a Local Service Business

Not every business has to be online. Local services are always in demand and require almost no startup cost.

Ideas include:

  • cleaning
  • organizing
  • pet sitting
  • lawn care
  • errands
  • tutoring

Why it works: You can start with a simple Facebook post or flyer.

8. Sell Digital Illustrations or Clipart

If you enjoy drawing or digital art, you can turn your creativity into income by selling:

  • watercolor elements
  • vector packs
  • character sets
  • modular cutouts
  • themed clipart bundles

Why it works: Artists can earn passive income from assets that sell over and over.

9. Create Faith‑Based Journaling or Curriculum Resources

If you love ministry, Bible study, or spiritual formation, this niche is both meaningful and profitable.

You can create:

  • sermon notes
  • ACTS journaling pages
  • Bible study guides
  • printable devotionals

Why it works: Faith‑based resources have a loyal, appreciative audience.

10. Start a YouTube Channel or Short‑Form Video Series

You don’t need fancy equipment — just your phone and a clear message.

You can share:

  • business tips
  • digital product ideas
  • faith‑based encouragement
  • workflow hacks

Why it works: Video builds trust quickly and supports your long‑term brand strategy.

You don’t need a perfect plan to start a business — you just need a starting point.
Pick one idea from this list, give yourself permission to begin small, and take one step this weekend.

And if you want help setting up simple, stress‑free bookkeeping for your new business, my GnuCash courses and templates are designed to make the financial side easy, even if you’re brand new.

2. Setting Up WordPress For WooCommerce

Posted on | by Laura

Before we install WooCommerce, there are a few pages we should set up first:

Step 1: Setting Up Relevant Pages

  1. About Page: Share your story with your customers. ( see example )
  2. Contact Page: Provide a way for customers to reach you. ( see example )

Step 2: Disabling Comments on Pages

In WordPress, pages are for static content like “About Us” or “Contact” pages, which typically remain unchanged over time. Posts, on the other hand, are for dynamic content like blog entries or news updates, which are organized chronologically and can be tagged and categorized. Comments are great for blog posts but don’t always make sense on pages. Let’s turn them off:

  1. Go to the Admin Dashboard.
  2. Navigate to Pages.
  3. Select all your pages.
  4. Go to Bulk Actions, choose Edit, and click Apply.
  5. Under Comments, select Do not allow.
  6. Click Update.

Now, when you revisit your About page and scroll down, you should no longer see the comments box, making it more “page-like”.

Step 3: Setting Up Permalinks

Permalinks in WordPress are the permanent URLs of your posts, pages, categories, and other archive pages on your website. These URLs are designed to be permanent and should not be changed, hence the name “permalink.” They help create a URL structure that is easy for both humans and search engines to understand and share.

Pretty Permalinks: These are SEO-friendly and attractive, usually containing words such as the title of the post or page, post category, or tag name. For example: http://example.com/2012/post-name/

Pretty permalinks are SEO-friendly because they include keywords from the post title or category, making URLs more descriptive and relevant to search engines. This helps improve search engine rankings and provides a better user experience by creating readable and memorable URLs.

To create prettier permalinks:

  1. Go to the Admin Dashboard.
  2. Navigate to Settings > Permalinks.
  3. Choose any option other than Plain (e.g., Day and name, Month and name, Numeric, Post name). Personally, I’m a fan of Day and name.
  4. Click Save Changes.

Return to your About page and refresh it to see the updated permalink. This will apply to your About page, Contact page, and future Product pages.

1.Why Use WordPress WooCommerce?

Posted on | by Laura

If you’re considering starting an online store, WooCommerce offers a robust and flexible platform to build your business. It is a popular e-commerce plugin for WordPress, and it’s a great choice for several reasons:

  1. User-Friendly: It’s relatively easy to set up and use, even if you don’t have a lot of technical expertise.
  2. Customizable: It offers a high degree of customization, with a plethora of themes and plugins to tailor your online store to your exact specifications.
  3. Cost-Effective: The core plugin is free, and while there are paid extensions available, you can start selling online without significant upfront costs.
  4. SEO-Friendly: WooCommerce is built on WordPress, which is known for its strong SEO capabilities, helping your store rank better in search engines.
  5. Community Support: There is a large community of developers and users, which means you can find plenty of resources and support if you run into any issues.
  6. Secure: Regular updates and a focus on security help protect your online store from potential threats.
  7. Integration: It integrates seamlessly with many other services and platforms, including payment gateways, shipping services, and marketing tools.

SEO Tips For Etsy Sellers

Posted on | by Laura

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, and it’s the practice of enhancing the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine’s organic results. In simpler terms, it’s about making your site more attractive to search engines like Google, Bing, and even Etsy’s internal search, so that you appear higher in search results. :

The importance of keywords in SEO can not be over stated. Keywords are the terms and phrases that users enter into search engines when looking for specific information, products, or services. They’re like the secret sauce of search engine optimization (SEO).

Here’s why keywords are important:

  1. Visibility: Using relevant keywords helps your content appear in search engine results, making it more likely that people will find your website.
  2. Relevance: Keywords help search engines understand the topic and content of your webpage, ensuring it shows up for the right searches.
  3. Audience Targeting: By choosing the right keywords, you can attract your target audience, who are already interested in what you offer.
  4. Competitive Edge: Analyzing and using the right keywords can help you stay ahead of competitors in search results.
  5. Improved User Experience: Good keyword usage can lead to more relevant search results for users, enhancing their experience.

For instance, if you have a blog about healthy recipes, keywords like “easy vegan recipes,” “gluten-free desserts,” and “low-carb meals” can help your content reach those who are specifically looking for these types of recipes.

Here are some Etsy seller SEO Tips:

Shop Optimization

  1. Use a clear and descriptive shop title that includes relevant keywords.
  2. Write a detailed shop description that highlights what makes your shop unique and includes important keywords.
  3. About Section: Share your story and what inspires your creations. This can help build a connection with potential buyers.
  4. Shop Policies: Clearly outline your shop policies to build trust with customers.
  5. Shop Reviews: Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews, as they can boost your shop’s credibility.

Listing Optimization

  1. Listing Titles: Use descriptive and keyword-rich titles for your listings.
  2. Listing Descriptions: Write detailed descriptions that include relevant keywords and highlight the unique features of your products.
  3. Listing Photos: Use high-quality photos that showcase your products from different angles.
  4. Listing Prices: Set competitive prices that reflect the value of your products.
  5. Listing Categories: Choose the most relevant categories for your listings to help buyers find your products.
  6. Listing Attributes: Fill out all available attributes to provide more information about your products.
  7. Listing Tags: Use all available tags and include relevant keywords to improve your listings’ visibility.

Additional Tips

  1. Keywords: Think like a shopper and use keywords that potential buyers would search for.
  2. Conversion Rates: Focus on improving your listings’ conversion rates by providing excellent customer service and high-quality products.
  3. Recency: Regularly update your listings to keep them fresh and relevant.

How To Install GnuCash

Posted on | by Laura

How To Install GnuCash

You can install GnuCash on Windows, macOS, and various Linux distributions; essentially, most common desktop operating systems are supported. Windows: GnuCash is available for recent Windows versions like 8, 10, and 11, macOS: You can install GnuCash on macOS versions starting from “High Sierra” (10.13). Linux: GnuCash is readily available for most popular Linux distributions and can be installed through package managers.

In this tutorial, I will go over the simple steps to installing GnuCash on a windows desktop or Laptop computer!