A lot of us dream of ditching our 9-5 jobs, the daily commute, the stress of a work-place and just start our own businesses right from home.
There are a ton of business ideas online. In this article, we will see a list of 50 that you can try with little or no investment.
Before we get started, let’s see some stats on home businesses:
- According to recent study, 50% of all firms in the U.S. are home based.
- Home based business owners are generating an average revenue of $427 billion per year.
- 20% of home based businesses make up to 100k – 200k per year.
- 70% of home based businesses are successful within 3 years.
- 44% percent of home based businesses are started with 5000 dollars.
The first step to picking a business you can start from home is choosing an activity or hobby you love.
If you are passionate about cooking, you start a business related to cooking. You can start your own catering company.
You can also decide to separate your hobbies from work. If that’s the case, you can still create your business based on sole-proprietorship.
In this article, you would see a list of ideas that have little restrictions to enter, cost little to start and have high earning potential.
Are you ready to start your journey to making sustainable income right from the comfort of your home?
Let’s get started.
1. Freelance Writing
Are you good at writing and editing? You can take advantage of this and start your own freelance business.
Danny Marguiles makes up to 100k per year copy writing on Upwork.com.
Apart from Upwork, you can also find good writing jobs on Fiverr.
To earn a lot of money from freelance writing, you would need to have a repertoire that shows your versatility in various forms of writing. Having editing skills would serve as a boost also.
Here are some writing skills you should learn:
- Creative writing:There are magazines that would pay you to send them your short stories.
- Technical writing:Technical writers are i high demand in the writing space. Not many people are into technical writing as it can be somewhat difficult. You can earn as much as 34.10 dollars per hour.
- Resume writing:A lot of people find it difficult to write a good resume. Take advantage of this. Charmaine Pocek in an interview with the Penny Hoarder says she earns up to $30 – 800 writing resumes on Fiverr. According to Fiverr spokeswoman Abby Forman, Pocek has made up to 2.4 million over the past 6 years.
2. Virtual Assistant
What is the difference between a virtual assistant and an administrative assistant?
One chooses their work hours, is their own boss and the other has another person calling the shots.
The tasks that a virtual assistant and an in-person assistant performs are similar but as a virtual assistant, you can work for multiple companies.
The extra income from these companies also means more work. You might be typing a proposal today and doing data entry tomorrow. You have to be always prepared and have a flexible schedule.
As a virtual assistant you can make an average of $60,410 per year.
3. Bookkeeper
If you love numbers and data entry, having a bookkeeping company is a home based business you can start easily.
Starting out, you should target small companies instead of big accounts. Helping these small companies build their account helps build your resume.
You don’t need to be an accountant to start out. All you need is a good computer and customer service skills.
The average salary of a bookkeeper is between $18.87 per hour and $39,240 per year.
4. Tutoring
You love teaching? Don’t worry, you can still do it from home.
You can start an online tutoring business. You can teach anything from math, english, programming and make-up tutorials right from the comfort of your home.
All you need is a good camera, microphone and proper lightining.
If you don’t want to start your own tutoring company, there are several online tutoring companies you can join and get paid.
All you have to do is have the necessary teaching certifications and show that you are credible.
As an online tutor, you can earn as much as $28-30 per hour.
5. Affiliate Marketing
Do you have a website or blog, you can make a ton of money from affiliate marketing.
Some of the top earners make up to 50,000 dollars per month.
The concept behind affiliate marketing – you place the affiliate link of websites in your posts and whenever someone click or makes a purchase, you earn commissions.
6. Social Media Consultant
You enjoy using social media and know all the latest trends and happenings? You should think of becoming a social media assistant.
Small businesses usually require the services of social media consultant to help drive traffic and leads to their services.
Although small businesses might not have a huge budget, you can work for several companies at once.
Sell yourself as someone who is social savvy, expert at using social media softwares and also a good writer. Working for these small businesses can help you grow your portfolio
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) groups social media consultant in the same category as public relations . The average pay is $28.85 per hour.
7. Web Developer
Do you know how to make things look beautiful/pleasing to the eyes and have coding experience, you should look intobecoming a web developer.
There are technical differences between a web developer and a web designer.
A web designer deals with visual aspect of the website while the developer deals with the coding aspect.
According to BLS, both of them earn a median of $33.30 per hour.
You don’t need to start by building a big a big website. Start small. You can build landing pages for companies and automate their mails. The most important thing is building your portfolio.
8. Graphic Designer
You have an art degree and/or highly creative, you can start your home based business as a graphic designer.
According to BLS, 1 out 5 graphic designers were self-employed.
You might need to invest in proper equipment and software to make your outfit look professional.
Even if you haven’t worked for any company before, you can still have a portfolio of your works that would show your skills and versatility.
You can also post your work online in places like Coroflot and Carbobmade.
As a newbie you can improve your portfolio by volunteering to work for non-profits or churches.
An established graphic designer can strengthen their rates to what they would prefer with time and can earn as much as $40 per hour.
9. Local Tour Guide
Wanna have fun while working? Become a tour guide of your city.
As a tour guide in America, you can earn as much as $23,000 per year and $13 per year.
You don’t have to restrict it to museums and historical exhibits. Show people things you are passionate about – food, arts and culture.
You can build your tour guiding skills by offering to your friends. Expose your work by using social media and your local tour office.
10. Cleaning
Being a cleaner might not sound pleasing, but that is what makes it an amazing option.
There are not a lot of cleaner so their skills are highly in demand.
You can become a house keeper. If your aren’t interested in getting your hands dirty. You can also help people clear out accumulated trash in their attics, basements and barns.
A cleaning job can pay you as much as $23,310 per year.
11. Personal Chef
Love cooking and food? This is the business for you.
Don’t put your culinary skills to waste by starting a catering and personal chef business.
You don’t need a culinary degree to get started. A few referrals is all you need to get business booming.
You can build your referrals by offering to cook for a school gathering, fundraisers or church picnic.
12. Photography
Your friends always compliment you on your photography skills? Let that skill earn you some money.
Apart from taking photographs at occasions, you can earn money online by uploading your photos to stock photo sites like Shutterstock and iStockphotos.
13. Home Staging
A lot of homeowners looking to change the look of their home need the service of home stagers.
They need someone to come in to rearrange the furniture, hide the unneccsary clutter in a storage unit and replace all those framed bland photos with tasteful art.
You can get clients by doing the following :
- Using Facebook ads and google adwords for advertising.
- Have a social media presence.
- Make friends with Realtors and home builders.
- Ask for referrals.
You can earn as much as $70,200 home staging.
14. Babysitting
Do you love kids and comfortable with them around?
You can earn some money looking after kids in your home as long as it is prepared and suited for kids.
To earn a bigger rate, learn basic skills like administering CPR and first aid.
Things like how many kids you baby sit at once and location can determine how much you can earn. According to care.com calculator, babysitters can earn up to $21 per hour for a child.
15. Personal Trainer
Do you love going to the gym and love staying fit? Turn this into a business.
You can train people right from your home studio or at their homes. To increase your pay and credibility, you should get certified by a national accreditation organization
Examples of these organizations are American Council on Exercise (ACE) and National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
Note that getting accredited might take you a couple of weeks and also cost hundreds of dollars. You would also need to have liability insurance.
The average pay for fitness trainers is $18.85 and varies from location. IDEA fitness says that the average pay for personal trainers in Newyork is $32.
16. Massage Therapist
If you are good with your hands, you can start a massage therapy business.
You would need more than a towel and a bed to start a massage therapy business. You would need to have a license and also study before you would be certified.
BLS reports that there would be a rise of massage therapist by 26% from 2016-2026. The median salary of massage therapist is $39,860.
17. Amazon Seller
Since you can buy almost anything on Amazon, you can also sell things on Amazon. You don’t need a physical shop to sell things.
If you are wondering how you can sell your old stuffs on Amazon, there are several options you can use:
- Private-label products: In this category, you can resell generic products with your own packaging and logo.
- Retail arbitrage: You can sell items you purchased somewhere else on Amazon for a higher price.
- Fulfillment by Amazon: The items you purchase for resale are sent to Amazon. Amazon stores the inventory in their warehouse.
How much can you earn as an Amazon seller? Use the Amazon calculator to estimate your revenue.
18. ebay Seller
You can resell things that you have bought for cheap from a thrift store for profit as an eBay seller.
The price of your products would determine if and how long you would show up in the search – the lower the price of your product, the more people would see your product, but setting a higher minimum would mean you would earn more when you make a sale.
If you want to attract more followers, make sure the products you listed are presented professionally. Use good lighting and a good camera to get good photos.
34.3% of eBay sellers makes under 10,000 dollars a year. 3.9 percent of eBay sellers makes up to a million dollars a year.
19. Event Planner
A lot of people find it difficult to plan parties, that’s where you come in. You can help people plan their events.
It can be anything from birthday parties, charity events, fundraisers to graduation.
The good thing is that you can start your business from home and meet clients at event locations. All you need is the ability to make plans and being able to work with different kinds of people.
20. Facebook Page Designer
You would be surprised that there are clients out there are looking for the expertise of a Facebook page designer. Learn how to add unique elements to Facebook pages and make them stand out.
You can get clients by using Facebook and google ads. Also tell your friends and family to tell your friends about your business.
21. Party Clown
If you enjoy kids, fun and birthday parties you can open a party clown business. Become a party clown and entertain children. Your home can be your home office where you can do your booking and prepping for work.
22. Dance Instructor
Why don’t you put your dance background to use? You can offer dance classes to interested clients right from home. If you don’t have enough space at home for a studio, you can decide to rent space outside. Do the administrative work from home.
23. Musician
You can earn money from selling your music. There are several mediums you can sell your music online – from iTunes, Spotify and Soundcloud.
You might need a dedicated studio to get started. If you can’t create your own home studio, there are cheap studios you can buy time to record. All you need is your talent and drive.
24. YouTube Personality
You can become a sensation on YouTube and make tons of money from it. You can easily setup your account for free. You can create and share your own video content on the site.
You can share anything from travel videos, tutorials and productivity videos.
You can earn money from your videos from selling your own products, doing affiliates programs and also the Google Adsense program.
25. Have a Podcast
The podcast is similar to having a YouTube account but in this case, it is in audio format. There are a lot of free tools that you can use to create your own podcast online.
When you begin to have traffic, you can earn money from advertisements.
26. Business Consultant
Are you business savvy and good with finances? You can become a business consultant.
You might not even need to meet the clients in person. You can communicate with your clients via email and Skype.
You can find clients on the job seeking site, Upwork.com
The average pay for the freelance business consultant is $70,043.
27. Life Coach
Same as a business consultant, you can offer life coaching services to your clients. Communicate with your clients online via email or Skype.
28. Yoga Instructor
Turn your love for yoga into a business. You can start your yoga classes right from your home or teach your classes online.
Good quality mats is one of the best investments you can make.
29. T-Shirt Designer
You can make some income with your creative talents. Create your own designs then print then in T-shirts and sell them. You can sign up for a free account at CafePress.
30. Dog Walker
You can help people walk their dogs around your community. Your work hours would be very flexible and you can an additional source of income.
As a dog walker you earn an average of £11.50 and £24,496 in a year.
31. Dog Trainer
If you love dogs, dog training can be the ideal job for you. In recent times, the demands for dogs trainers have increased. The money spent on pets are now at an all time high.
This career would give you the opportunity to have fun with your favorite pets while also making money from it.
You can earn from $7.76 to $29.59 per hour. Some trainers can earn up to $100 per hour.
33. Auto Detailer
Do you know your way around an auto-vehicle? you can be come about auto detailer.
What does an auto detailer do?
An auto detailer performs thorough restorative, cleaning and finishing of the exterior and interior of a motor-vehicle to make it cleaned and polished according their clients specification.
An auto detailer can earn an average of $28,000 per year.
33. Tax Preparer
Almost everyone doesn’t like doing their taxes, you can use the opportunity to start a home tax preparation business.
Test if you are qualified to become a tax preparer. Click here.
What does a tax preparer do?
- They calculate, sign, invoice and file tax returns on behalf of either individuals or businesses.
- They represent their clients during IRS examinations.
You would need certifications and a degree at least before you can become a tax preparer.
There are changes to the tax code every year, so you would need to refresh your training each year.
The average pay of a tax preparer is $27,704/yr.
34. Alteration Service Provider
How good are you with a needle and a thread? People can send you their garment and you can alter them.
You can also offer custom embroidery to clients that want to customize their clothes or items.
Tips: Use custom threads to increase the aesthetics of your embroidery designs.
35. Translator
Do you speak more than one language? You can offer translation services to clients. You can do this via email, Skype, phones or even audio recordings.
A translator can earn an average of $40,000 per year in the US and £18,000 to £21,000 per year.
36. Online Researcher
You can offer online research service to people online. You would only require a computer, internet connection and a good cup of coffee.
You can find jobs on Upwork and Fiverr.
An online researcher can earn an average of $15/hr.
37. Voice Artist
Are you good at imitating different voices, you can earn a living as a voice artist. There are several free tools you can find online that you can use to market yourself.
You might need to spend some money on voice coaching, but it would be worth it.
Some voice actors earn up to $100 for a 15 second audio and up to $3000 for an audio book.
38. Rent Out
If you have any spare room in your house, you can offer to rent it out. You can use a free service like Airbnb to make sure that your payment is secured. You would pay a service fee to Airbnb for each reservation.
39. Baker
If you are good at baking, you can start your own baking home based business. You just need to get the basic supplies and ingredients to get started.
You can decide to sell the baked goods online or through local bake shops.
40. Online Event Promoter
You can become a promoter of events online. You just need to learn how to use tools like Facebook and Pinteresy to promote the events online.
You can earn up to $25-45k as an online event promoter.
41. Online Tech Support
Are you tech savvy, you can put your tech knowledge to use. You can offer tech support services to clients. You can offer tech support via phone or online (skype, IM and emailing).
42. Drive with Uber
You can easily earn money if you have a car by becoming an Uber driver.
Before you can become an Uber driver, you would need to pass a background check, auto-insurance and have a valid driver’s license.
Uber helps you to pay your bills and you get to work on other things you are passionate about also.
Learn about Uber driver requirements.
Driving an uber is one the best home based business ideas you can try out.
43. Take Surveys
Taking surveys online is one of the best ways to earn quick cash. You wouldn’t get filthy rich from taking surveys, but it is a good side income.
You can earn between $30 to $100 per month doing surveys.
44. Doula
A doula is another name for a birthing coach. A doula assists a woman in labor whether in the hospital, midwife clinic or their homes.
You don’t need to be a medical professional before you can become a doula.
Doula offers emotional support and physical assistance to birthing mother.
You would need to be certified by DONA International. Although most states do not require licensing before you can become a Doula, it’s doesn’t hurt to be safe.
Although you can do this business from home, you have to prepared for the unpredictable schedules.
A Doula can charge between $500 and $1000 per birth.
45. Hairstylist/Barber
If you enjoy cutting hair and giving manicures, you can start your own salon right from home.
Before you open a salon at home, make sure you follow the state requirements.
Median salary: $22,500.
46. Copy-writing
A copywriter help companies write compelling materials for ads,websites newsletters, direct mailing and many others.
Being an excellent writer qualifies you for the job but having a degree in advertising, marketing or communication gives you an edge.
47. Courier Service
If you live in a city or a place with lots of activities, you might consider starting a courier service for local businesses.
The difference between you and big name services is that you would be more flexible.
Small businesses would also prefer your services.
The average courier earns between $17,000 to 27,000 according to about.com.
48. Green Consulting
A lot of companies are looking for assistance in making their processes greener without spending a lot of money.
A green consultant help companies figure out how to improve their carbon footprint without sacrificing their bottom line.
49. Blogging
Although it might take you some time to grow your audience and find ways to monetize your blog, you can earn some money blogging right from your home.
All you need to do is find your niche. Know that depending on your niche, pay can vary and the potential is limitless.
All you need is a hosting platform, and you can get your site online and start earning easily.
50. Furniture Builder
If you are good with furniture, you can start your own furniture workshop and sell your wares.
You can sell your furniture online. Etsy is an excellent place even if you don’t have a physical store.