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Last Updated on January 20, 2024 by Work In My Pajamas
Emerging technology has made it easier than ever to start working from your home as your own boss. It can seem incredibly daunting to start your own home business, but if you have the proper qualifications and carefully take the first steps to set your business up you will have a great chance at being successful. Here are the best small business ideas that can easily be started up right from home.
In This Post:
1. Freelancing
One of the easiest ways to start being your own boss from your own is to begin a career as a freelancer. No matter what your strength is, whether graphical design, marketing, writing, photography or taxes, you will be able to begin earning money quickly. The trickiest part of freelancing is building an initial customer base. You can do this by approaching former employers or clients you have experience with, or posting samples online. Some freelancing opportunities like writing and photography have websites where you can sign up and offer your services for client orders. Your best bet is to do some research and find out the best way to find orders as soon as possible.
2. Etsy
If you are artistically included, you can make money selling your good on Etsy, a global marketplace for arts and crafts. Setting up an account is quick and easy, and each listing only costs twenty cents. Items that are particularly creative can command a very reasonable price. Things like paintings, homemade jewelry, clothing and home decor tend to sell quite well.
3. Consultation
Business consultants can make great money and it is very simple to start doing so from home. Especially in this difficult economy, businesses are looking for any edge that they can get. If you have a wealth of experience in a particular industry or with a particular business function, there is a good chance that you will be able to offer your expertise for a cost. Make sure to focus on one particular niche and you will be able to grow your business from there. Consultants can charge a hefty hourly fee, but clients will typically want to see references and examples of success. Try contacting clients you may have worked in the past while working for somebody else and see if they will be willing to provide a reference or review.
4. Contracting Work
If you have a truck and are handy around the home you may be able to do well setting up a business doing contract work. It would be beneficial and simple to fit your truck for contracting work from a company like Western Truck Body Mfg. Areas that tend to do well include painting and home repair, but even if you don’t have those skills you could look to start doing things like lawn care. Word of mouth is the best form of advertisement for home contract work so it might be worth taking a couple jobs at a reduced price, perhaps even at cost of materials, to earn some positive reviews and buzz around town.
5. Web Design
Just about every business needs an online presence to succeed today, and quite often a boilerplate website won’t make do. If you have the ability to design websites you can make a very good living working from your home. Designing a creative website for yourself is a great first step, but you will also need to focus on networking as much as you can. Try attending trade conventions, working on a blog and marketing as much as possible to begin building your business.
6. Virtual Assistant
More and more businesses are looking to outsource non-essential functions, and if you are computer savvy you might be able to provide support duties for local businesses. A typical virtual assistant will spend their day on data entry, research, word processing, scheduling appointments and bookkeeping. Try to focus on a specific business niche at first to develop expertise and you will be providing exceptional value to your clients quickly.
Starting your own business from home can be an incredibly freeing and lucrative endeavor. It is important to make sure you are financially ready to weather a year or so of hardship and that you have the proper expertise in your business endeavor. Work as hard as you can and enjoy the freedom of owning your own business!
Those are some great suggestions for people looking to work from home! You made me realize I can start offering my home business coaching through other mediums than my blog! I’ve just been offering to moms who visit my blog, but why not advertise it to everyone! Thanks for the “aha” moment, and any of these ideas sound great, especially for those moms looking to work from home!
Great post Kim. It’s right on point with what’s avaible for work from homers. One thing I wish to add is you must be patient and stay consistent. Don’t give up if you want to prosper when working from home.