Does starting your own home-based business sound enticing? Let’s face it, this year more and more people are working from home but there is a BIG difference between taking your work home while still answering to your boss and starting your own home-based business and becoming your own boss! I definitely prefer the latter!
If you are thinking that you would like to start a home-based business and become a successful entrepreneur then congrats! Working from home and starting up your own business venture is one of the most rewarding experiences.
But where do you start? The sky is virtually the limit with all the possibilities out there not to mention the never-ending lists of “work from home jobs” that often don’t make you enough money to live on. Narrowing down and determining what you want to do, what you are good at and what can make you money are all good questions to ask yourself before you get started.
WHAT BUSINESS IDEAS ARE BEST FOR ME?
Take a moment and ask yourself these questions. Actually, if you really want to start your home-based business today then grab a notebook and write down the answers to each of these questions!
- What are my passions, hobbies, likes, dislikes?
- What am I good at doing and what skills do I possess?
- Why do I want to work from home?
- How much time do I have to devout to a business?
- What are my goals for making money (full-time, part-time income)?
- What can I see myself doing long term?
Now that you have some ideas (hopefully) of what your interests are and what you can see yourself diving into, check out these ideas. Remember, these business ideas are not for everyone. We all have our strengths and weaknesses so choose something that you are good at and that you would enjoy doing. These home business ideas have the potential to be very profitable and successful but there are many more that are not on the list that you could be very good at. You just have to think about what appeals to you.
Here are some great ideas to get you started.
This post may contain affiliate links which means I may make a small commission on qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Printables
If you have a flair for design and enjoy getting creative then this business idea may be for you. Creating and selling printables is a great way to earn some passive income (after you put in the initial work of course) while working from home. Selling printables online has been on trend for awhile now and it is something that doesn’t require hefty start-up costs. If you are good at coming up with great designs this can become a lucrative at-home business.
To create beautiful and well designed printables, try out a program like Canva. They have a great selection of free tools to help you make gorgeous printables! You can also upgrade to access even more tools and designs on a monthly or yearly plan. Try out Canva Pro’s free 30 day trial and get creative!
The most successful printables are ones that serve a purpose and fulfill a need for a customer. Some of the most popular printables are:
- Calendars
- Templates
- Planners – weekly, monthly
- Budget Templates
- Grocery Templates
- Wedding Planners
- Artwork/Décor
- Nursery Art
- Popular Quotes
- Fitness planners
Platforms like Etsy are great for setting up your online shop and listing your printable designs. For a free course on how to get started in the online printable business, check out Nancy Badillo’s free Etsy course. She walks you through the steps of selling digital products online.
Related: 8 Ways to Make Money from Home
Teach Online
If you have a particular set of skills then why not set up your own online course and teach others? With platforms like Udemy or Teachable, it is possible to set up your own virtual course and make money from the comfort of home.
People from all over the world enjoy the opportunity to learn from home and if you have something they want to learn, they will pay you for it. Teaching online can also be a great source of passive income once your course is set up and published. The potential to make money from your course a year or more after you have launched can become very lucrative. Just be sure to keep it updated for best results!
Related: How to Become Debt Free
eBook Author
Gone are the days where publishing your own content relied on the sole discretion of publishing agencies. You don’t have to sift through rejection letters or pay hefty amounts of money to have your content published anymore.
Today, anyone with an idea can publish an eBook! The key to becoming successful and turning your writing into an actual profitable business is the quality of the content you are writing and the need for it. If you have great content and serve a need then you could make some great money from home.
To get started, you can check out this post on 9 Powerful Tips for Writing Your First Successful eBook. These tips will help you get started and turn your passion for writing into a great profitable home-based business.
T-Shirt Designer
This is a great business idea that you can run from home without major start-up costs or inventory. If you enjoy coming up with new designs that will appeal to your target audience then this could be a great home business for you.
There are a few options for setting up your t-shirt business. You can purchase a printer and print your t-shirts from home, or, you can submit your designs and have them printed on demand. Both options allow you to be in control of inventory.
Before you jump in, think about your target audience, whether your designs would be appealing to them or not and if there would be enough demand for your designs to make a profit. Test out your designs and start small.
Wedding Industry
There are so many great business ideas within the wedding industry that could become the perfect business for you. If you are great at photography, baking cakes or doing hair and makeup then you could turn that skill into a full-fledged home business.
In Canada, the average cost of a wedding is just over $29,000 and just over $33,000 in the U.S. People PAY for what they want and if you offer a service that they need, you could pocket a profit.
If you can offer a high-quality service then you can certainly charge a premium. Wedding photographers charge on average between $2500-$10000 for their services.
The average price of a wedding cake is between $350-500, with additional layers and décor increasing the price.
If you are looking for a great business or side business then this could work for you. Make sure you look into your local bylaws if you plan to offer a food service.
Related: What You Need to Know about Multi-Level Marketing
Hobby Farmer
Ok so this is not for everyone. You need to have a little bit of land to get into hobby farming which not everyone has.
If you do live in the country and have a few acres, you could start earning money right off your own land! The ideas are endless for ways you can profit from your own surrounding.
Selling home grown fruit and veggies, baked goods, honey, meat, dairy, are just a few of the things you could earn money with. Farmer’s markets are great places to sell your home grown or baked goods.
Other ways to earn money from your farm include:
- -Petting zoo
- -Bed & Breakfast
- -Farm to table meals
- -Horseback riding lessons
- -Campsite locations
- -Wedding photo location
- -Sell fresh flowers
- -Sell honey
Remember to check your local regulations when preparing and selling food items. You will also want to look into insurance for activities like horseback riding etc. Know the rules and regulations before you begin.
Hand Made Crafts
Hand made crafts are often overlooked and tossed aside when it comes to thinking of ways you can make money from home. The truth is, if you can offer a handmade good that people will want, you have the potential to make some great money from home.
The challenge is finding out what your target audience wants. Do some research and see what people are making and more importantly, buying. You don’t want to put up a lot of time and effort if no one is buying it.
Sell your handmade goods at local farmers markets or online platforms like Etsy. Use your social media accounts to advertise your crafts and get the word out. There are many ways to get your crafts out there, you just need to find out the best avenue that works for you.
Child Care
If you are someone who enjoys spending time with kids then why not think about starting your own home-based daycare or become a nanny? There is often a demand for daycare providers which means it could be a great business opportunity for the right person.
If having multiple children in your home isn’t for you then becoming a Nanny may be a better choice. You will want to look into the regulations in your local area for starting up a daycare as well as any certifications (CPR, First Aid, Water safety etc.).
Animal Boarding
If you have some property with the ability to set up boarding facilities and you enjoy animals, perhaps animal boarding is the right business to consider.
People are always looking for a good safe place to board their pet while they are away on holidays or travelling for work. If you can provide safe facilities and enjoy looking after them, why not start your own boarding business?
You could also provide puppy daycare for those who have puppies and work during the day. Who wouldn’t want to get paid for looking after some cute fur balls?! Busy schedules and puppies don’t often mix so opening up your home for a puppy daycare may be the winning ticket.
Sites like Rover are a great place to get started.
Blogging
So, you may be asking why I put this business idea last on my list? Blogging has the potential to become a very lucrative home business, but it takes time to get there. If you are looking to make money from the start then this is not for you.
As the saying goes, blogging is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes much more time to get to the point where you see a positive return, BUT it can be a very rewarding return! If you have patience, dedication and consistency (a lot of consistency!) then blogging may be a great home-based business for you.
Start off by asking yourself what you can see yourself writing about, thinking about and researching. You want to enjoy writing about your topic or you will be more likely to give up.
To get into the world of blogging you will need a few things. Web hosting like Bluehost is a great affordable host provider that will get you up and running. You will also need to choose a theme and WordPress has many great themes to choose from.
To find out more about how you can start up a blog then check out How to Start a Blog in 2020 (and make money). Ryan Robinson is an expert on blogging and he has written a great guide that is easy to understand for beginners. Learn from the best and check out his post.
I hope this post was helpful and you have some new business ideas to muddle over. I am always updating and adding new ideas so stay tuned! If you work from home and want to share your great business idea then leave me a comment, I would love to hear about it!