Starting a small business from home ideas can challenge and inspire you both personally and professionally.
It is plain to see why working from home is appealing, especially given events across the world several years ago. There are no work clothes to think about, no dreary morning commute, and no need to leave the house.
Running a business from home has the potential to be a dream come true! With this rise, there has also been an increase in the number of ‘at home’ businesses being set up.
The best small business ideas from home give you the best of both worlds. To be your own boss and not leave your house in the process. This transition has never been easier than in today’s connected world.
If you are looking for ways in which you can make your home your headquarters consider some of these work from home business ideas.
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What You Need To Start
Before you start any business, whether it is on dedicated premises or from the comfort of your own home, make sure you have all of the necessary permits, home business insurance, and licenses.
You must also keep a tight and coordinated watch on your finances so that you can report to the tax office when the time comes.
Here are a few starting small business ideas from home you might start from your kitchen counter.
Dropshipping: Best Small Business Ideas From Home
Dropshipping can prove to be a great business idea as it allows you to turn a profit from an online store without having ever handled or stored the goods. Perfect for those tight on storage space.
Essentially a third party will produce, store and ship your products leaving you in control of the selling, customer service, and marketing aspects. As with any venture you will want to ensure you carry out your due diligence.
Always choose a reputable supplier with strong reviews and recommendations so this third party cannot negatively impact your business model and reputation.
Business Consultancy Services from Home
If you have been in business for a while and consider yourself to be an industry expert or to have a desirable skill set in the world of business.
Consider whether you can offer your services on a consultancy basis. You could offer anything from initial start-up help including business planning, and strategizing.
Or, the legal requirements such as company registration services or confirmation statement services all the way to business analysis and development planning.
The world of business consultancy is wide-ranging and with a never-ending number of small, large, and medium-sized firms on the market. So, finding work as a business consultant shouldn’t prove to be too challenging for the right candidate.
Social Media Consultancy
The exponential growth of social media and in turn social media advertising has seen an unexpected demand for social media consultants. Essentially businesses around the world are hiring people to run, promote and grow their social media accounts as a means of marketing.
One of the most attractive things about social media consultancy is that it is still a fledgling career. Universities and marketing courses are still playing catch up and businesses seldom require formal training.
That is not to say that anyone can be a social media consultant you will need to have some proven track record of social media success and a background in marketing is likely to be beneficial.
Lisa, Inspire To Thrive
That said, there are a number of professional and reputable social media training courses available that can help you further develop your knowledge and expertise and give you an official accreditation to help you stand out from the crowd.
If you can get your social media strategy right and your consultancy service up and running it could prove to be a very lucrative career move. Today, more and more companies turn to social media for their advertising.
Furthermore, you could even turn it into a course online for your clients.
Small Business Ideas From Home: Transcription Services
Transcription might be a decent way to supplement your income if you are fast at typing with a good ear. Transcribers convert audio or visual data, such as mp3 or video, into text.
Transcribers are given videos or audio files to listen to and then type all of the dialogue. This type of work necessitates fast and accurate typing as well as a high-quality audio system to ensure that no words are missed.
People who are quick typists will typically complete orders faster, gaining them more money.
Freelance Writing A Common Small Business Idea Today
Freelance writing is a possibility for those who are fluent in English. A freelance writer is someone who is paid to write reports, blog posts, product descriptions, and even complete books for others.
Unlike some other at-home work, freelance writing does not require a large initial investment or specialized equipment. All you need is a computer, a word processor, and a little bit of time and effort.
An aspiring writer could make money online in a variety of ways. The most common method is to start a blog about a particular subject that you are interested in. Establish a social media profile and sell ideas to potential clients as another way to start earning money by writing.
Working for websites that link clients and authors is the final way to make money writing online.
Freelance writing is one of the small business ideas from home that is happening everywhere today!
Work From Home Business Ideas as a Tutor
You do not need a college diploma or teaching license to work as a tutor or online teacher. If you have a strong command of the English language and a desire to teach, you might enjoy teaching English as a second language or tutoring students who are having difficulty in school.
Tutoring jobs can be found in any topic that you are enthusiastic about or knowledgeable about. Several websites link available tutors with students in need of assistance.
A few companies also employ people with strong English language skills to teach English to people in other countries, especially the far East.
At-Home Daycare
In-home daycare laws and regulations vary, but in general, you are permitted to care for a certain number of children without having to employ additional employees. This number may be as low as four but rarely exceeds seven.
Before you can open your daycare, you may need to change your home insurance policy. If you rent, you need to seek permission from your landlord or landlady.
Aside from following the licensing rules, taking a few courses will assist you in the process. CPR and First Aid certification is a good idea. There are a few organizations that provide certification for courses like childcare training.
Most parents will demand a checked background check from their childcare providers. Thus, you need to take the initiative to get it done and have it on hand.
Now, it can also be very physically demanding. Be sure you are in good health before taking on a hoard of children!
While starting an in-home daycare needs some upfront investment. But, if you enjoy working with children or have previous childcare experience, it may be the right fit for you.
A Dog Walker
With people starting to get out more and returning to offices, starting a dog walking business could be another great small business idea from home.
With the rising demand for pet care services, investing in dog walking app development could present a lucrative opportunity for entrepreneurs looking to capitalize on the growing pet industry.
According to the APPA people are spending $99 billion a year on pets alone! Many dog walkers charge between $30-$60 per hour depending on the area they live and work in.
However, be sure you have the proper insurance to take care of dogs if you are going to be a dog walker. And of course, be sure you LOVE dogs! You will want to get along with all different breeds to be a dog walker.
Lastly, don’t forget to advertise for your business when starting a small business from home ideas to do. You could make YouTube videos with you walking the dogs.
Videos could also be used as reel features on most social media channels now too.
Pet videos are one of the most-watched videos today. Who doesn’t love seeing cute pets in action?
Your Turn at Work From Home Business Ideas
There are many work-from-home opportunities available. These are available regardless of your education level, your interests, or your inspiration for starting a career from home.
You can have a fulfilling career without ever having to leave your house if you put in a little effort.
What starting a small business from home ideas have you had? Are you currently managing a business from home now? Has it been a dream come true for you or has it been a challenge?
Best Small Business Ideas From Home To Inspire You To Thrive Share on X
She has 30+ years of experience in marketing/advertising with 11 years of experience in content marketing, social media, blogging, and SEO.
You can purchase her eBook about Twitter on Amazon.
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Hey Lisa,
Thanks for sharing these tips. In addition to the listed, Virtual Assistance, Video Editing and Freelance Graphics Design are also some businesses that can be started right from home.
Good thing is, with the right effort and strategies, one can always scale and grow these businesses, regardless of where it’s being operated from.
Hi Victor, welcome to Inspire To Thrive 🙂 You are most welcome. Oh yes, those are good ones to add to this list- thank you. There are so many different things people can do from home with a computer today. It’s really amazing. Thanks for coming by and have a great day.
Hey Lisa,
Most small companies do not have a dedicated social media manager. Here are the 5 lazy habits that your company should avoid along with a few tips and You can break down the results by today, yesterday, 7 days, or a month.
Hi Sathish, you are correct. Many small companies either have a freelancer or they try to do it themselves as they wear many different hats 🙂 Thanks for your comment and make it a great day!
Hey Lisa, Tutoring can be pretty neat. I used to tutor math and programming languages. This was many years before the online thing. Seems there has always been a need for one to one help in a number of age groups.
Hi Eric, I didn’t know that. Very nice. Would you do it online today? Thanks for your input and have a great day and start to the new week.
Hi Lisa,
No doubt the need is there and continues to grow by the year. Online makes the logistics of meeting clients much simpler. Less travel for all concerned!
Hi Eric, yes and as the price of gas and cars go up, that will come into play as well. Thanks for your feedback here 🙂 Have a great day!
Lisa: I have recently started a new home business. It could have something to do with walking your dog, or in my case, your cat. 😉
Hi Martin, I’d love to hear more about your cat business 🙂 Thanks for coming by and enjoy your day!
I see tutoring really taking off in the current global climate Lisa.
We befriended a Canadian couple here in Panama. These folks are getting their residency here. They have 2 kids. International schools in rural Panama are few and far between. Knowing this, their kids learn from international tutors located all over the world.
My wife used to teach Chinese students English online over a decade ago. Her sister – who teaches high school – now tutors Chinese students English, too. Zoom culture and a fab work at home idea for building a small business.
Hi Ryan, very interesting insights on tutoring, thank you. I didn’t realize Kelly did that 🙂 I could see that now growing for sure. Thanks for your input and have a great day there.
Great post, Lisa. One thing worth mentioning that small businesses should think about niching down. The global market is already very competitive, so focusing on a specific niche helps finding the perfect customer, offering the right services to them, and scaling the business.
Hi Deian, Welcome to Inspire To Thrive. Yes, that’s a great idea to add to this piece. Super-focused niches do well today but always have a 2nd one in your mind in case market conditions change as they did last year when everything turned online. You have to be ready to adjust and make changes along the way. Thanks for your input and make it a great day!