Can you really start a business with almost no money, like $12,000 or less?

Yes, according to these interviews. Andy Frisella's company started with just $12,000 and no investors, inheritance, or outside money, and his first store was tiny; he also says the first three years brought no profit and it took six years to open a second store. Sergio, the New York entrepreneur, started out in his basement with absolutely nothing, and Teddy Hagerty's robotics company grew from a small start. Jim Cook, who founded Samuel Adams, stripped everything down to the absolute minimum he needed, contracted production at an existing brewery instead of building one, and ran the business from pay phone booths for a year. Another guest said he started his first business with $300, and another billionaire was described as starting with $4,000. Sarah Blakeley started Spanx with $5,000 she saved from selling fax machines door to door and never took an outside investor. The common thread is that these founders minimized costs and bet on themselves, though several also stress that the early years were slow and hard.