If you’re thinking about taking the home-based business plunge, there’s one thing you can count on. There’s a business that has your name on it, because these days—with some ingenuity and ambition—there’s very little you can’t do from home.
Try one of these out for size:
1. Crew member. Like the idea of sailing without the headaches of ownership? Offer your services as a crew member. Place your name with captains who do such work. Advertise in marine publications, and look for ads and notices placed by boat owners who are looking for such services.
2. Delivery person. If you’re patient, organized and customer service-oriented, the delivery business may be for you. Get started by calling on businesses that need some delivery but don’t have their own person on staff. As your client base grows, hire high school and college students to use their own cars to deliver for you. Consider an errand service for two-career couples and senior citizens. Get started by contacting local mom and pop pizza stores, hardware stores and pharmacies.
3. Garage sale promoter. Sound mundane? Don’t scoff! Promoting garage sales can put some extra cash in your pocket. Many people have an over-abundance of valuable stuff, but they’re too busy or not creative enough to pull off a successful garage sale. You organize, promote and stage the entire affair. Get several neighbors to participate in the sale. Charge a base price plus a percentage of all sales. Get started by distributing door hangers in prospective areas. Once you have clients, use your imagination to get buyers to attend.
4. Gift-buyer. Like to shop ‘til you drop? Here’s the job for you! A gift-buying service purchases gifts for busy people who don’t have the time to make unique selections. Locate some wholesale outlets and also select more expensive, exclusive specialty shops where you can do your shopping. Purchase the gift, add in a commission—and you’re in business!
5. Greeting reminder. Winning and keeping customers is a major key to any business success. Well-run businesses do everything they can to maintain their customer base. There is only so much time in a day, however, and the little things that are so important often go overlooked. By charging a nominal annual fee, you can provide a service that send greetings to selected customers at holiday time, birthdays and other special dates. Excellent prospects include auto and insurance companies.
6. Household manager. Turn your years of household management expertise into a profitable business by offering services such as child care, grocery shopping, laundry drop-off, hiring and supervising service personnel(such as the housecleaner), painting and repairs, researching big-ticket items (such as refrigerators) for future purchase, pet care and more. Start out on your own with plans to hire staff people as soon as our client base is large enough to warrant additional help. Bill clients based on an hourly rate for part-time work and on a salaried basis for full-time. Get started by placing ads in penny savers, passing out flyers at the grocery store and distributing door hangers.
7. In-home cook. Establish a personal chef service by creating dinners for busy professionals, families with young children, people recuperating from illnesses and surgeries, disabled and elderly and those who simply want to come home to delicious meals made expressly for them. Here’s how it works. You go directly to your clients’ homes with your own cooking equipment and food and then prepare a week’s or a month’s worth of dinners. They can include entrees and side dishes and desserts—whatever your client selects from your menu of choices. Once the food is prepared, store it in labeled plastic containers in the freezer. Include instructions for reheating.
8. Used car evaluator. Ask almost anyone who has purchased a second-hand car and you’ll find it’s one of life’s big frustrations. Someone with the proper equipment can provide a stress-relieving service to these purchasers. It will take some mechanical know-how, and specialized equipment, such as an engine compression tester. Advertise in the classified section of your local newspaper, near the used car section. Some training from a used-car buying service may help you get established.
Your own home-based business is limited only by your imagination – so go for it!