Every business writer will have his /her own favorite list of 10 best home based businesses. That’s because we each have our own experiences and knowledge. For example, I have been involved with all kinds of businesses, large businesses and small businesses for over fifty-five years. Most of my relatives, including parents, uncles and aunts were involved with small businesses also. All that experience surely colors my choices of the 10 best home based businesses.
Before I list my favorite 10 best home based businesses, please allow me to share a few important small business ideas with you. These business ideas will help you decide your direction and your level of small business success.
Know why you want to start a home based business. Is it really for the money, or is it something else, like freedom or to show someone that you can do it?
If it’s for the money, do you want to just make an extra hundred dollars a week or do you intend to make more money for yourself, say $2000 a week or more? Your decision will determine how much effort it will take and how much money you can make.
Do you know what you really want to do? For example, would you rather sit at home at a computer or telephone for eight or nine hours a day or would you rather go to a client’s home or office to do some kind of work there? Just because you start a home based business doesn’t mean that you have to stay there all day, every day.
Do you have some special skills that you want to make money with?
Take an idea that looks good and makes sense to you and get started. This is very important. You can’t have a successful business if you don’t get started. If you start the wrong business for yourself, you will find that out, and you will have learned enough to start something else. But, you must start.
Hopefully those 10 best home based business ideas will start you thinking. You see, now you can look at this list of 10 best home based businesses and make better decisions about starting your own home based business. If you want to see more business ideas to help you find your own niche, follow the link to More Home Business Ideas at the bottom of this page.
Affiliate Marketing - This is one of the best businesses to be in because it allows you to start your home business on someone else’s efforts. That’s right! You get to sell someone else’s work product and you get a commission of anywhere from 25% to 75% commission (that’s 25 to 75 cents on every dollar you sell). Depending on how you do this, It could be an internet business, or a non-internet business. For that reason, you’ll find it also listed under internet businesses. That’s also why we aren’t counting it as one of the 10 Best Home Based Businesses on this page.
Treasure Hunter – Actually, this is my tongue-in-cheek name for the profession of “trash hauler.” Wait; don’t run away from this one until you hear me out. Have you ever heard the term “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure?” People will pay you a fortune to get rid of their old stuff from their basements and attics, and other people will pay you a fortune to buy those wonderful used or antique items. Now you know why it's on this list of 10 best home based businesses. Note: Be aware, this is a “cash business.” See the reference to “cash” businesses in Basic Accounting .
Photography – If your hobby is photography and you have some equipment (camera, computer and color printer) you can get started on a small, part-time basis and grow into a larger full-time business. You can start by going door-to-door in selected neighborhoods and taking children’s or pet or family pictures. Come back with a few printed pictures (framed) and sell them and take orders for more. Note: Be aware, this is a “cash business.” See the reference to “cash” businesses in Basic Accounting .
Computer Repair and Tutor – Almost every home has at least one computer today, and not family has an eleven year old child/geek at home. Many people need help with virus removal, installing software, setting up a home network or connecting a new printer. Other people need to learn how to use the internet or want to learn how to create a blog or Facebook page. Start by printing and distributing fliers and business cards. Note: Be aware, this is a “cash business.” See the reference to “cash” businesses in Basic Accounting .
Pet Services – Actually, there are many “best home based businesses” you could start in this area. For example, you could start a pet sitting business for people who are going away for a while; or start a dog walking service; or start a doggie day care for people who want their friends taken care of while they are at work. You could start a pooper scooper business with a shovel and some plastic bags Note: Be aware, this is a “cash business.” See the reference to “cash” businesses in Basic Accounting .
Personal Trainer – If you are into physical fitness and exercise, there is somebody out there looking for you to help them get into shape. You see, you get to continue with your own physical fitness routine while you get paid to help someone else. Now you see why this made it onto this list of 10 best home based businesses. Note: Note: Be aware, this is often a “cash business.” See the reference to “cash” businesses in Basic Accounting .
Event Planner – There are tons of people that are just too busy to plan their own dinner parties or birthday parties for their kids. Add to that weddings, bar mitzvahs and graduation parties, plus dozens of business meetings and conferences, and you have one of the best home based businesses around.
Consultant – Did you get downsized or laid off? Chances are, your old company could use you a few days a week to do your old job, whether it is in computers, bookkeeping or personnel. Also, their competitor probably needs your talents two or three days a week. Many people find themselves doing their old jobs, but from home. They are self-employed consultants now.
Personal Coach – There are many talented people out there that could do a lot of things – if they had someone to help them get started or give them the confidence to get started. That’s part of what a personal coach does. You would be kind of a talking self-help course on legs, encouraging and advising your client to do things he already knows how to do; almost like a parent, but without the nagging.
One hidden benefit of this business is that it can help you make contacts which can get you into other businesses. That helped to get it onto this list of 10 best home based businesses.
Home Handyman Service – If you are handy with tools, and have your own tools, people need you. As homes get older, things start breaking down and nobody is buying new homes these days. As you get good ar estimating how long a job takes, you should be able to make at between $1200 and $1800 per week.
Personal Organizer – Some of us are so organizationally challenged that we need help finding the floor when we get out of bed in the morning. My office looks like the last tsunami took everything from Japan and dumped it on my desk. My closet is worse. People like me will pay good money for someone to put things in order so we can get our work done. If you’re good at organizing things, you are in demand.
There you have it; 10 Best Home Based Businesses. Remember, these home based business ideas are really meant to be thought starters for you. You may even decide that you want to start more than one business, so if things are slow in one business, you can be making money in another business.
By the way, if 10 best home based businesses aren't enough, there is a great site out there that is working on a million small business ideas for you. To visit his site click here.
Commitment to Success is a special success motivational tool, a monthly success motivation letter meant to help you achieve the success you desire. It contains words of wisdom from success masters of the past to inspire you to greater heights. It also gives you new business insights to help fuel your creativity and increase your money making power.
We are offering you, our friends and readers a free subscription to Commitment to Success
As a special bonus, each issue of Commitment to Success will contain a free download link to one or more books or lessons of these giants of the past.
For your free subscription, simply fill out the coupon below.
Back to Home Based Business Ideas
"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." Thomas Edison