The $650 start up: 9 essential tools to launch a business this week

A few bottles of decent whisky, a legendary meal out with friends, or a new PS5. In 2026, $650 is the price of an enjoyable weekend. It’s fun, yet it’s fleeting.

But what if you could spend $650 to launch your dream business? What if, for the price of a games console, you could confidently hand in your letter of resignation?

Is it possible? The answer is yes. But only if you know which tools to leverage and which ‘start-up traps’ to skip. Over the last decade, I’ve launched 4 successful businesses. If I had to do it all again with $650 in my pocket, this is exactly how I would spend it.

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Essential software
Hardware
Business audiobooks
Budget breakdown

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Owain Williams

From ecommerce brands to martial arts gyms, I've been building and launching businesses since 2017. Since then, I've spent hours selecting products, working out business systems, executing marketing campaigns, and finding smart ways to grow.

Essential software

Powerful, affordable software is the cornerstone of every successful startup launching on a budget. The trick here is to cover as many of your business needs as you can with just a handful of affordable subscriptions.

To get your business off the ground, you don’t need expensive tools – these will eat into your budget and often come with a bunch of features that a fledgling business doesn’t need.

Here is what you need to get started:

A website platform like Hostinger. These platforms neatly package a bunch of tools under one roof. You can use Hostinger to build and host your website, buy a domain, execute email marketing campaigns, and even build web apps to help you run your business with its Vibe coding platform.

A design platform like Canva. Canva is one of the most beginner-friendly platforms for generating graphics for your website, email marketing campaigns, social media, and presentations. Most start-ups can get everything they need on Canva's free plan, although upgrading (from $18/mo) will supercharge your graphics output.

A workspace like Google Workspace. Expensive licenses are a thing of the past. Cash-strapped, agile start-ups can now subscribe to platforms like Google Workspace from $7/mo, unlocking storage, AI assistants, word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation tools.

A payment processor like Stripe. Without the means to get paid, your startup won’t get far. Platforms like Stripe make it easy to accept payments online, charging you a small fee on each transaction.

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Hardware

The only hardware you really need to get started is a reasonable laptop with an internet connection.

Save investing in a flashy computer for when your business is off the ground and generating a decent profit – you can get started with a reliable laptop for less than $350, or you may already have something you can use.

Our experts voted the Acer Aspire 5 laptop the best budget business laptop. At $335, it is the most expensive item on our list of start-up essentials, but it will be the workhorse for getting your business idea off the ground.

The majority of us will work on our startup when we aren’t focusing on other commitments, such as work and family. This means we have a small amount of time to achieve big things. Using a portable monitor can help you seamlessly multitask, a pomodoro timer can help you maintain focus over prolonged periods, and a decent coffee machine will pay dividends when working late nights and early mornings.

Business books

Personally, I love a physical book (yes, I'm old school), but when you're launching your business, podcasts and audiobooks offer a great way to learn and find inspiration whilst keeping your hands free to work.

I've been a subscriber to Audible for over 7 years now and listen to books whilst working on my side hustle, walking the dog, and cooking. Out of the 90+ audiobooks I've listened to here are my top picks for start-ups.

Try Audible for free for 30 days

Right now, you can grab a 30-day free trial with Audible. This gives you access to one audiobook of your choice. After that, you can continue to pick one audiobook a month for $8.99/mo.

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