Four Great Work-at-Home Ideas with Low Startup Costs

Last Updated on May 7, 2014 by Work In My Pajamas

If you like to set your own hours and work at your own pace, you may want to consider some work-at-home ideas. While at first blush working from home may not sound like it pays much or that there is little chance of advancement, this is not necessarily true. Sometimes you can make as much as working at a regular job, and sometimes you might even make more than a regular job would be willing to pay you. Even if your work-at-home job does not pay as much as if you were working in a regular office, store, or factory, you will save commute time, money on gas and food, and the many miscellaneous expenses associated with going to regular job. Here are four great work-at-home ideas with low start-up costs to consider.

1. Build a Website Around Your Interests

You can make money by building a website that sells something. For instance, you could build a website that sells products to teach some skill or provides a service that people need. You can even build a virtual store online or become an affiliate for a variety of merchants. Ideally, you should learn the skills to do as much as you can on your own, but it is possible to hire someone to build your internet website, blog, and social media platform.

2. Build a Business Around Your Skills

You can create a business associated with freelance work if you are particularly skilled at something. Sometimes you may have done something for many years for a company that you can now easily do for a large number of clients. For instance, you could build a business as a website designer, graphic artist, freelance writer, public relations expert, postsecondary tutor, or marketing consultant.

3. Work as an Independent Contractor

With the recession, many companies find that it is more cost-effective to hire contract workers than to hire full-time employees. For instance, some financial institutions allow their financial managers to work from home. The median income for this work is around $1,227 per week. Companies like Intuit hire tax preparers and pay them an average income of $1,061 a week.

4. Become an At-Home Support Staff Member

In the field of telehealth, a company called MedQuist hires medical transcriptionists, paying them from $30,000 all the way to $50,000 a year. Registered nurses can also work at home, earning an average of $1,055 a week, advising patients on the telephone on health care issues.

Naturally, this is just a short sample of the many work-at-home ideas available for you. You can even make money part time online if you just want to supplement your income. With just a little imagination, courage, and ingenuity, it is possible to generate a steady income from home.