If you have young children and struggle to fit a career around childcare or if you’ve just had enough of the daily commute to work and want to do something more rewarding, you might want to consider working from home. Here are 4 home-based business ideas.
Daycare
Turning your home into a daycare facility for children can be a great idea if you struggle with your children’s care.
This can be a gratifying and enjoyable venture as you can spend time with your children as well as nurturing other peoples. Building bonds with children and doing your part in helping them grow and develop can offer a great sense of achievement.
There are a few red tape areas to work through, and you might need to get some official qualifications such as a certificate in first aid for children, but generally, there are minimal start-up costs – you just need to ensure that your home is safe and child friendly.
Furniture Upcycling
Painting and restoring old furniture can offer significant financial rewards and can be completed in hours to suit your family life.
The start-up costs are relatively low because you can look out for free furniture items online, and all you will have to buy initially is paint, some sanding tools, screwdrivers, and some finishing products such as varnish and wax.
You can sell your items on Etsy, Gumtree, and eBay or at local craft fairs or set up your own website. Ask friends and family if they have any furniture pieces they would like transformed and ask them to spread the word or write reviews for your website.
Online Shop
If you are skilled in craft, art, or can create bespoke items, you could open an online shop.
Websites such as Etsy and Facebook make it easy to sell your creations all over the world. Find a niche in the market and create an item.
Make sure you market and brand the item so that it’s attractive to customers and offer excellent customer service. Reply to inquiries promptly and courteously, provide loyal customers with discounts and other perks such as free shipping.
Ensure your goods are of high quality and reach the customer in good time and a state of perfection. Use reliable postal or courier services such as Pittsburgh Couriers.
Dog/cat groomer
If you love animals and have some creative skills, you could be a dog or a cat groomer.
Training courses can usually be found in your local area or volunteer at a local business to hone your skills. Online animal first aid courses are available and can be a benefit to your business.
You could use your garage or a garden shed to set up your grooming parlor. You would need to invest in a grooming table, a bath, cages, and grooming tools.
The initial financial investment might be relatively high if you had to supply your shed or garage with electricity, heating, and water, but the financial return would make it worthwhile. Mobile grooming vans are also available, which would enable you to widen your customer base.
