Work from Home Business Ideas

Here are some business you could start from home:

1 Antiques/collectibles dealing: Know your stuff when it comes to certain kinds of collectibles? If so this can be a great way to make money from a hobby. Trading sites such as eBay make it easier than ever to reach your target market.

2 Bed and breakfast: Got a spare room? Live near somewhere of interest to tourists, or close to a student area? Note you’ll almost certainly need planning, mortgage lender and health and safety approvals first.

3 Biscuit/sweet/cake making: If your passion is baking you might find that you could actually make a living from it.  If you find that starting a bakery or restaurant too costly and involved, you could start a small enterprise taking orders from family and friends.  I have know people who have made for themselves a pretty good income working from home as a baker.  It is also fun and you will be your own boss.

4 IT service:  If you are skilful in IT such as troubleshooting, setting up websites and etc, you could easily start a small business from home with an online presence.

5  Data entry Perhaps not the most thrilling of part-time pursuits, but data entry can nevertheless offer an extremely steady (not to mention flexible) source of extra income. You generally get paid for the number of entries you make rather than by the hour, which means you can go back and forth to it when you get a spare few minutes.

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6 Flower arranging Imagine doing what you love and getting paid for it, which is what this idea brings to mind. The nature of the product means you’re likely to cater to a local audience, so why not impress with a business card and delivery car adorned with flower power. It’ll turn heads and attract new business as you turn corners

7 Gardening services Some people are willing to pay others to  mow their lawns or get a vegetable or flower garden started so that they can have access to ultra-fresh produce without doing all the legwork.

8 Making greetings cards If you’re the kind of person who loves making things, why not try your hand at cards? Ask a local shopkeeper what kind sells best and follow their advice, working to a distinctive style of your own. Then try selling to family, friends and local businesses. Be mindful of material costs and time taken though, as wastage can be expensive in such a low-value product.

9 Handyman services Know your way round a toolbox? Let people know that they can call you for little repair jobs, relatively straightforward DIY tasks such as putting up shelves or assembling flat-pack furniture. You’d be amazed at the simple things people are willing to pay others to help them with. 

10 House/Carpet cleaning: This is an idea you can start yourself, or consider being part of a house-cleaning franchise.  I know of someone who started a carpet cleaning business from scratch by just buying carpet cleaning machine for about $2,000.00, printed calling cards for $10.00 and flyers printed from home and built a part-time business generating between $10,000.00 to $15,000.00 a year.  he could have easily grown the business if he wanted to but he liked the slow pace and quality of life he had just managing it small.

11 Ironing/laundry services:  Even in these cash-strapped times, some people hate ironing so much they’re willing to pay others to do it (at least in the posh parts of town).  

12 Knitting/alteration/sewing services: A big growth area, as more people come to appreciate the value in repairing and patching up clothes. If you’re handy with a sewing machine, there’s serious money to be made. Once you get known locally, word-of-mouth should do the rest.

13 Leaflet distributing: Delivering leaflets to people’s houses could be a profitable and healthy way to spend a few spare hours a week. Call into your local shops and restaurants to see if they need help distributing flyers, menus and so on.

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14 Online surveys: It’s possible to make pocket money by filling in internet surveys – though Smile City and Taluna. 

15 Online trading: Sites such as eBay and Amazon make it easy for people to dabble in e-commerce. Focus on things you can get hold of easily, or are passionate about. And have an eye on the Christmas market: think about what will be selling well in a few months’ time.

16 Personal tutoring: If you are a part-time teacher or are perhaps taking a career break to look after young children, this can be a great way to make a little money while keeping your syllabus knowledge up to date. Try advertising locally or registering with an agency like Personal Tutors.

17 Pet grooming: Many people loathe bathing their pets and trimming their hair – I know I do. Pet groomers can do this for a small fee – a perfect job for a person who loves dogs and cats.

18 Pet minding/walking: Dog-walking is a fantastic earner if you love animals and enjoy the outdoors.   On average you can make between $10-$15 an hour, per dog. Offer pet-minding as well and you can make a whole business out of it. You’ll need public liability insurance in case something happens to the dogs or members of the public.

19 Translating If you are fluent in a second language, translation services are in demand as companies look overseas for new sales. But be warned: it’s a serious business and you’ll need professional qualifications from an accredited body.

20 “Ugly” modelling If you look, shall we say, different, you could make money in ads, photoshoots or appearances through the Ugly model agency. People with phenomenal tattoos, piercings or just very “interesting” faces can make thousands doing commercials, videos or corporate appearances.

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21 Virtual assistant: Many ultra-busy professionals appreciate having someone who can check and answer their email, organise task lists for them, update their calendars and so on, with minimal interaction,” says Hamm. “You can provide this service from home with a good internet connection.”

22 Wedding/social photographer: You’ll need a website or blog to showcase your work, but if you’re confident that your photography is good enough, there’s no reason why you can’t do wedding/function work professionally. Do your homework though – you’ll need to take charge of arranging people into groups and know all the classic poses expected of the occasion.

23 Wedding planning If you’re one of those people who can’t help but flip through bridal magazines and daydream about nuptial arrangements, this might be perfect for you. A great way to get started is to develop a website on the topic, get to know people online and offer your services to the community.

24 Freelancer: Become a freelancer in whatever you are good at doing or skilful at such as web developer/designer; logo designer; pamphlet/banner designer; model; music or sound track producer; transcriber; book keeper etc.