An extra income won’t hurt anybody, and selling online is a solid, doable, and a modern way to get it. And the great thing is that it’s simpler than ever.
However, there are obvious questions everyone who wants to start an online business has:
- “Can I afford it?”
- “How much do I need to start?”
- “Can I start without investments?”
And the thing is: yes, you can afford it, and it doesn’t cost anything to start.
In this article we’re going to look at why you don’t require to have money to start out, and how you can skip the headaches that many beginners normally have to deal with. Let’s unpack it step by step.
What does an online business need?
First of all, there are 3 main things every online seller needs to have. Normally, an entrepreneur would need to splurge on them, but not in 2025:
1) A working store – where customers land and pay
- What it actually means: to bring sales it should have a clean design, fast pages, mobile checkout, security, payment gateways that don’t glitch, clear shipping info.
- Why it matters: fewer drop-offs, fewer “payment failed” moments, more trust.
2) Products – with clear margins and real demand
- What it actually means: items people already buy, solid photos, simple benefits, price room for profit.
- Why it matters: you need predictable margins and repeatable sales.
By the way, the products you just saw are in the Sellvia catalog, so if you decide to get an online store with us, they’ll be there already!
3) A supplier – who keeps stock and ships on time (like Sellvia)
- What it actually means: reliable inventory, tracking numbers, clear delivery windows, easy returns.
- Why it matters: with a good supplier you can be sure that the products will be taken care of and you don’t need to worry about shipping and customer satisfaction.
Now that we know what’s the foundation of an online business, let’s take a better look at the old-school way of starting a business with its costs, and a way that requires $0.
Ways to start & costs
Your starting cost depends on how you start, crafting a store from scratch or getting it done for you.
If you decide to do it yourself
You assemble every piece yourself or pay someone else to do it.
- What you pay for: domain ($10-15/yr), hosting ($10-20/mo), backups/plugins ($10-30/mo) such as cart recovery, managed SSL ($5-10/mo), payment fees, product samples, packaging, freelancers, plus your time.
- Hidden costs: integration bugs, returns/exchanges, supplier negotiations, downtime while you troubleshoot.
If you’re not willing to cash out on developers, you’ll need to learn how to do it all alone, which can be time consuming, as well as exhausting. Talking from personal experience here.
However, you do not need to spend hundreds of dollars on developers, countless hours making it work, or stress that you’re knee-deep in something that you don’t understand all alone. Sellvia can do it all for you.
If you let Sellvia handle it
Sellvia is a leading ecommerce platform that helps entrepreneurs start and scale online businesses with ease. It removes the usual headaches of ecommerce, making it a great choice if you don’t want to spend a fortune just to get moving.
Become a business owner in a couple of clicks.
- Hassle-free start: Tell us your preferences, and our team will craft a modern, turnkey store that’s ready to make sales from day one. Take a look at some examples!
- $100 to upgrade your store: Use your voucher to add exclusive products or growth tools – boost your catalog from the start.
- Vast product selection: High-quality items across multiple niches. Pick what fits your audience and watch sales grow.
- Easy platform: Manage orders, add products, and chat with customers in one simple dashboard. Everything is clear and accessible.
- Automated fulfillment: We handle inventory and shipping when orders come in — you stay out of the logistics grind. It’s called dropshipping, when the supplier handles the orders for you.
- No upfront costs: Start without buying stock, renting a warehouse, or purchasing shipping supplies
- 24/7 support: Our team is here anytime you need help. You’re never building alone with Sellvia.
Amazing, isn’t it? Now let’s talk about the costs (they’re basically non-existent).
What will you actually pay for?
For the first 2 weeks, you’ll get a free trial period so you can test the waters. Then, if you decide to go forward with your store, you’ll pay $39 a month. That includes the store, the access to the product catalog, support system, everything mentioned above. And here’s how these $39 will cover themselves.
- You sell a $34 item that has the initial price of $15 = $19 gross/order.
- Three such orders cover the $39/month Sellvia plan; everything after that ends in your pocket.
- No stock upfront, no boxes at home – you pay for the items after you receive an order. Nothing out of your own pocket.
You can spend money on paid ads if you personally would like to, but Sellvia covers your back in the marketing department, as well:
- Free materials: take advantage of pre-made product pictures, captions, use them in your ads.
However, if you don’t want to do it, let us handle it with the auto-promotion tool.
- What happens: we promote your store, route traffic to your product pages, you keep control of products/prices.
- What you get: simple performance reports, orders landing, money flowing.
No headaches, no need to figure out marketing by yourself or pay freelance marketers to do it for you. Let our in-house team do it for you.
By now, you might be feeling like it’s too good to be true. It’s actually not! Take a look at these real-life, tangible, measurable success stories from our clients!
Success stories
Tired of side hustles that go nowhere, Ruby grabbed Sellvia’s $0 turnkey store and finally saw momentum: first sales in week one, then 7 orders in her first 4 weeks while juggling a full-time job and twins.
What changed? Real support + ready product pages + reliable fulfillment (no “where’s my order?” drama). With a tiny ad budget (Google/Snapchat wins), she’s already at $303 revenue and growing — and, more importantly, confident.
Ruby’s takeaway: pick a platform that does the heavy lifting, start small, and let quick shipping + done-for-you materials turn “someday” into your first sales.
When lockdown crushed the fitness industry, PE teacher Jeremy needed a real backup plan. Zero ecommerce experience, tons of doubts – but a turnkey Sellvia store changed the game.
The team built the shop, he grabbed done-for-you visuals and ad texts, and launched simple Facebook/Instagram promos. Result? $1,000+ in under a week and a clear path forward without juggling tech, inventory, or shipping.
Jeremy’s takeaway is simple: start lean, use the tools, and let a proven stack do the heavy lifting while you focus on the next sale.
How much does it cost to start selling online? Answered!
Ready to start an online store with practically no costs? Secure yourself a turnkey ecommerce store with a $100 voucher to elevate it even more. No stress, no headaches, no technicalities that worry beginners. We’ll have your back at every step of your journey!
Grab the turnkey ecommerce store with $100 and outdo your competition from the very first day!
