7 Businesses You Can Run From Home 2023
Running your own home-based business is becoming increasingly popular. It has many advantages, including flexibility and low overhead costs.
As people have moved from the office to work remotely, more people are considering leaving the workplace to run a business from home.
When starting a business venture, it’s essential to consider the following:
- Start-up Costs: Starting a business will have some costs associated with it. The amount of money you have set aside will be a significant factor when deciding which business to pursue.
- Time Commitment: All businesses take time and effort to make them successful, which is especially true at the beginning. Make sure the business you choose fits your lifestyle.
- Scalability: The best businesses are scalable. You want to increase the amount of money the business makes without increasing the amount of time you must put in.
Choosing the Right Business
The right business is the one you will enjoy running; this can’t be emphasized enough. Running a business is not easy; it will challenge you in ways you didn’t think possible.
There are high highs and low lows. It can be a gratifying and personally fulfilling experience. But, if you don’t enjoy what you are doing, it will be hard to stay with it.
What Type of Business is Right For Me?
Pick a business that leverages your skills and interests. You want to find the intersection between skills, interests, and market demand.
- Your Skills: Sit down and write on a piece of paper what you think your best skills are. What are you better at than most of your peers? You don’t have to be an expert because you will continue to learn and grow as you develop your business, but you want to choose something that you are already good at.
- Your Interests: What do you enjoy doing? You may be an exceptional accountant but hate your job. Deciding to start an accounting business would not be a good idea. Find something you are good at and enjoy doing.
- Market Demand: A business needs customers. If no one wants your product or service, no one will pay you for your time. There must be people willing to pay you.
Below is a list of 7 home-based businesses that you can start today. There are an almost unlimited number of ideas you can start. Use the list as a jumping-off point for ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
7 Businesses You Can Run From Home
- Print-On-Demand Business
Skills:
- Artistic
- Graphic design
- Website design and management (you can pay someone to do this)
- Online Marketing
Interests
- Graphic Design
- Into Trends
Market
- Online Marketplace (FB, Pinterest, Instagram)
- B2B – Company merchandise
A print-on-demand business is great because you don’t have any stock or inventory. Using your designs or artwork, you create products like t-shirts, mugs, stickers, and more.
Customers order items from your website or a vendor site.
Products are printed and shipped by a 3rd party and sent directly to the customer.
There is minimal start-up cost and time commitment, and the business is highly scalable. Because of the ease of entry, competition can be extremely high.
However, if you can find a good niche market that likes your designs, this can be a very profitable home business.
The challenge with print-on-demand businesses is finding and engaging customers. You will need online marketing savvy to build a following that wants to buy your goods.
- Online Teacher/Tutor
Skills
- Teaching
- Speaking
Interests
- Education
- Meeting new people
- Helping others
Market
- Online tutoring services
- Online chat platforms (iTalki, etc.)
- International students/Ex-pat families
Becoming an online teacher/tutor is relatively easy. There are platforms like italki and Preply that allow you to work freelance.
Create a profile, set your hourly rate, and start teaching. You can teach language lessons, math, science, or anything else you have experience with.
You can also target international students and ex-pat families to increase student numbers.
To become an online teacher/tutor, you will need a computer with a webcam. Time commitment is moderate, and your rates depend on the quality of your lessons and the competition in the marketplace.
This type of business does not scale well because you must trade time for money. The best way to scale this type of business is to develop an online course, program, or youtube channel.
- Online Yoga Instructor/Fitness Trainer
Skills
- Yoga/Fitness certification or knowledge
- Teaching
- Speaking
Interests
- Helping others
- Fitness
Market
- Youtube
- Namastream
- Vimeo OTT
Yoga and fitness are growing trends. If you have knowledge or certification in this field, an online yoga instructor/fitness trainer business might be the right fit.
You can create and market your classes, tutorials, and programs through streaming platforms such as YouTube, Namastream, or Vimeo OTT.
This type of business requires moderate start-up costs and time commitment. You need to invest in the equipment, create videos of your classes/programs and market yourself online.
This type of business is highly scalable as you can sell memberships to your programs and make ad revenue from evergreen content.
- Become a Freelance Writer
Skills
- Writing
- Research
- Editing
Interests
- Writing
Market
- Copywriting
- Blogs
- Magazines
Becoming a freelance writer may be your business if you have a way with words and enjoy researching different topics.
You can find work through Upwork and Fiverr or by reaching out to companies and bloggers. You can write blog posts, articles, web content, press releases, and more.
The start-up cost of this type of business is low. All you need is a computer and a reliable internet connection. Time commitment is also low, as you can work around your schedule.
This type of business has moderate to high scalability potential as you can take on multiple clients at once and increase your rates over time. You are limited by how much writing you can do.
- Sell Crafts
Skills
- Creativity
- Design
- Crafting
Interests
- Arts and crafts
Market
- Etsy
- Fleamarkets
- Local stores
Crafting businesses are a great way to make money from home. If you have an eye for design and the skill to create one-of-a-kind pieces, this might be your business.
You can sell your creations on platforms like Etsy, Shopify, or eBay or even reach out to local businesses.
The start-up cost of this type of business is low, but it does require a significant time commitment. You need to create products, take pictures and market them online. This type of business is moderately scalable, as you can increase production if sales ramp up but still need to spend time creating individual products.
- Dog Walking Service
Skills
- Knowledge about animals
- Communication
- Organizational skills
Interests
- Animals/dog-walking
Market
- Your local area
- Social media
Dog walking is a great business to run from home. You can offer your services to people nearby who need someone to walk their dogs during the day when they are at work or unable to get away.
There is a growing need for this type of service as more and more people are moving into cities and do not have the time to take care of their pets.
A dog walking business requires minimal funds and skill to start. Create a flyer and start posting them around your neighborhood to get started.
As you grow, you can scale the business by hiring additional dog walkers to take on more clients. Bonus, walking will keep you healthy.
- Landscaping/Snow Cleaning Business
Skills
- Organizational skills
- Outdoor maintenance
- Communication
Interests
- Gardening/landscaping
Market
- Your local area
- Word-of-mouth referrals
With dual-income families and busy schedules, outdoor lawn care and snow removal businesses are in high demand. If you have gardening or landscaping experience, you can use this to your advantage and start a business from home.
You can offer services such as yard cleanup, snow cleaning, mowing, or planting and maintenance of gardens.
You will need to invest in some essential equipment such as shovels, rakes, blowers, etc., but the start-up cost is moderate compared to other businesses.
Time commitment depends on you, as you can offer a wide range of services and scale up the business as it grows by adding employees.
FAQ
Which home-based business is most profitable?
The most profitable business to run from home depends on your skills and interests. Generally, businesses that involve creative work such as copywriting, crafting, or design that cannot be easily replicated generate higher returns.
It is also essential to research the market for your business and find out what services are in demand for it to be successful.
What is the best business to start at home?
The best businesses to start at home depend on your skills and interests. Some businesses you can run from home include online services such as web design, copywriting, or tutoring, related to technology such as software development or app creation, and businesses that require creative work such as crafting or design.
It is essential to research the market for your business and find out what services are in demand for it to be successful.
What Businesses Can I run from my home?
Depending on your skills and interests, you can run many businesses from your home. Examples of businesses you can run from home include online services such as web design, copywriting, or tutoring, related to technology such as software development or app creation, and businesses that require creative work such as crafting or design.
It is essential to research the market for your business and find out what services are in demand for it to be successful.
Final Thoughts
Running a business from home offers many advantages, including flexible working hours and reduced overhead costs. It is essential to do your research before starting any business so that you can find the right opportunity for you and make sure it will be successful.
There are many businesses you can run from your home, such as online services, businesses related to technology, or businesses that require creative work.
With some research and equipment investment, you can get started immediately!
Good luck!
Author Bio:
Mike lives in Japan, where he owns and operates several businesses, including a restaurant and an online marketing agency. When Mike isn’t dreaming up his next venture, he is writing on his site Mykhumphrey.com
