The $500 start-up: Build your personal brand on a budget, (from scratch)

Discover free tools, essential first purchases and smart strategies to look professional, stand out and grow your presence from day one - without the big price tag. 

Building your personal brand doesn’t demand big bucks. Even on a shoestring budget of $500, with a few smart choices, you can begin to build a professional presence without draining your bank account. Don’t rush to buy every tool or service; consider what will make the biggest impact.

Try these, before you buy

Before we dive into what to invest in, let’s consider what you might not need to purchase. Starting with your business name. In Australia, when you operate under simply your legal name, you don’t have to register and buy your business name. Consider the small cost-saving advantage you have for this before you invest in a business name. Using your name for your branding also makes your personal brand even more personal. 

Here are more free tools to try that won’t cost a cent: 

• Canva (free version) - Get free graphic design and video editing tools

• MailChimp (free version) - Send branded emails

• Unsplash - Free stock images

• Grammarly (free plan) - Sharpen your writing for correctness and clarity

• Hemingway App - Assess your writing for clarity and conciseness

• Pinterest - Plan your brand

• YouTube, Spotify and your local library - Do your research and host your YouTube Channel or Podcast

• LinkedIn - Publish content to grow your network

With that out of the way, where should you put any hard-earned dollars you do have? 

1. Domain 

My domain first cost me A$14.95 for year one. It was on sale at the time, which happens regularly on web domain platforms, particularly for first-year purchases. I personally bought my domain from Australia’s Webcentral, but there are several other providers, such as GoDaddy and Bluehost, to name a few. A .com address may cost you slightly more than other extensions. For example, at the time of this writing, some are available at 39% off for A$24.95 annually (US$16.50). 

2. Purchase an email address

While you’re purchasing your domain, add a basic email plan to your cart. When I was first building my personal brand, this cost,  A$9.99 per month (US$6.60), for a total A$119.88 annually (US$79.20). There are plans still available for this price (and lower). 

These first two steps alone will help you stand out in an inbox. It leaves a polished first impression of your personal brand and tells recipients of your emails that you’re serious about building your professional personal brand. 

3. Sign up to Squarespace

While there are several website platforms to choose from, I’d personally recommend Squarespace. While Shopify is a standout for ecommerce, and WordPress for blogging, Squarespace has made it its business to make yours look good. It’s the best all-rounder while offering stunning designs. If you’re building your personal brand, I recommend this as your go-to. With its beautiful templates, it makes quality design accessible to the masses. The user-friendly platform allows you to easily stick to the templates. Or effortlessly make custom edits with a suite of pre-designed add-ons .Filter your template options based on your needs. And select a style that matches your personal brand look and feel. 

You can view the Squarespace plans here. If you don’t need e-commerce, try a basic personal plan. This is A$17 (US$11.35), total A$204 per year (US$136.20). 

You have the option to also purchase your web domains and emails via content management systems like Squarespace. However, I personally prefer to purchase this outside of the platform. While it might be slightly more technical to manage (at least at first), it gives you more independence from your content management system and is generally also slightly cheaper.

4. Microphone

With the approximate A$150 you have left of your A$500 budget, I would recommend investing in a microphone and to start your own YouTube channel or podcast. You can film on your camera phone, but professional audio quality is essential and more than achievable on this budget. To build your personal brand, get your skills and most important messages out into the world. 

Basic budget, big impact 

Building your personal brand doesn’t need to break the bank. With these smart first steps, you’ll make a professional impression, stand out in your industry and set a solid foundation for growth, without overspending.