25 Home Business Ideas You TOO Can Do

Years ago when I started a blog I truly had no idea a person could make money while blogging.  In fact for the first two years I didn’t try to make a dime.  I didn’t even really try to get visitors.  It was really more like a diary that I didn’t care if people saw or not.  With that in mind I had no reason to take decent photos or even take the time to write well for that matter.  It was just something for me to do.   But then the business I had at the time changed and I needed something else to move on to.  The lightbulb went off and the rest is history.

But that history isn’t a straight line.  My business ideas really started as soon as I was old enough to leave the house on my own.  Snow days – no problem.  I actually looked forward to them – I would run out of the house at 4:30 in the morning and start asking people if they wanted me to shovel their driveways.  It didn’t take long to build up a client base and I even had to hire other kids!  Summers were lawn mowing, planting gardens etc… I used to work with politicians (as a teen) and go door to door providing information to citizens.  I suppose you could consider that a job but I was in fact an independent contractor.

I used to build and sell picnic tables; I sold Irish Dance products; I sold insoles; and the list goes on.  I have never gone without some sort of business of my own.  So if I can do it – you can too.  None of my business ventures required any special schooling – just time.  My premise has always been how do I improve customer success!  I always keep in mind – what’s in it for them (WIIFT).

So the goal is to have your own business and to do so by filling a need… What opportunities exist?  I have always worked a full time job in addition to my businesses.  In most cases if I quit my job I don’t believe I would have any issue at all because if I had more time – I could build my businesses more.  As long as I enjoy my career though – I like the diversity it affords me.  You may want to fully work from home though – it is all a matter of preference.

25 Favorite Business Ideas

1. Blogging – this is the most entertaining of all my businesses BUT do not expect to make a living off blogging right away.  It takes time and most people give up before they achieve success.  You must love writing, networking, photography, etc…
2. Translation – If you were fortunate enough to grow up in a multilingual home or have taken the time to learn another language sufficiently well to feel comfortable with translating both to and from at least two languages, Professional Translators are highly in demand and can earn a great living both online and offline. If you think you are qualified and you are interested in an online career as a translator, you can register here: https://www.tomedes.com/user/provider/createaccount
3. Graphic Design – no you don’t need to go to school for this though you certainly can.  You just need to practice, keep an eye on industry changes and stay current.
4. Ebooks – do you love the written word?  This one may be for you.  I have written several books and really don’t do anything to market them so they don’t make much.  If you really want to make money writing ebooks – then read all you can about how to spread the word and capture an audience.
5. Social Media Marketer – for me this started by offering small services of a short duration for free to several other businesses.  First, I did it for the reference and reviews but more importantly, I did it seeking critiques.  Since I was doing it for free they were more willing to provide valuable feedback to help me build a paid portfolio.
6. Dropshipping – this is one place I started in the field of selling, particularly with my Irish Dance products.  I built a website and had all products dropshipped to buyers. Drop shipping is very convenient in the sense that you need not to stock up the inventory before selling, and all the packing and shipping is also handled by professionals, so you can just concentrate on selling.
7. Virtual Assistant – your immediate impression would be outsourced typing.  But that is what it may have looked like 30 years ago.  Now VAs provide a whole host of services that everyone needs.
8. Housesitter – prove your reliability and responsibility and there is a market for you.  No one wants to go away on a trip and be worried about what is happening to their house the entire time they are gone.  They want their possessions and home to remain secure and this can be achieved with a housesitter.
9. Pet services – got a love for animals?  There are so many options available.  The first thing that comes to mind for you may be a dog walker but that is just one facet.  There are dog sitters, horse riders (for people like me who have no time to ride their own horses), animal care (farm animals, horse farms etc), and even cleaning stalls and paddocks.
10. Babysitter – another one I did from an early age.  Back then I think I started around 10 years old.  Nowadays it really is at least 14 or so but you can easily get clients by simply taking a Red Cross babysitting course and First Aid/CPR course to put you above all the other sitters in your area.
11. Sell on Etsy – are you crafty?  Do you have craft supplies?  Can you create digital patterns?
12. Sell on Ebay, Mercari, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist etc… – these all fall into a similar category along with many other sites.  You can even cross post items to increase your sales rate.
13. Fiverr gigs – this one is awesome.  You can do fun things, serious projects and more to make money.  Check out all their categories and you will have tons of ideas to get started.
14. Drive for Uber or Lyft – I haven’t tried this one but several of my friends do this for extra cash and I have certainly used the services especially for things like going to the airport.   Easy as can be.
15. Catering business – if you really like to cook this is a great option.  Cater events etc… or develop a niche such as Keto Meals.
16. Buy and sell domain names – if you can come up with some really awesome domain names that people haven’t purchased yet, this could be for you.  I have bought and sold a couple.  It is fun and not a major investment.
17. Freelance writing, proofreading and editing – technically these are different.  For example I make a decent amount writing and that is for anyone.  But when it comes to proofreading and editing – that work tends to come to me from non English speaking persons to correct translation to English.  This means that they may not necessarily be in my timezone.  It is not unusual for me to be working at 3am because someone has a deadline.
18. Tour Guide – do you live in or near an area with heavy tourism?  Then your location is ripe for this business.
19. Stock photography – carry a camera with you at all times.  Capture anything that looks unique, special etc… There are many sites for you to sell stock photos.  My photos that I sell tend to be horses, nature or photos that take the ordinary and make it extraordinary.
20. Ghostwriter – perhaps someone else wants to “write” an ebook.  Well technically they don’t need to write it.  They could hire you to write it!
21. Clothing alterations – nowadays there is decent money in this.  Years ago I would pay just $3 a pair of pants to have them hemmed.  Now my husband pays $25 a pair of pants for hemming.  That’s crazy – if you have this skill you should capitalize on it.
22. Baking – I constantly say my mother in law and I should go into business baking cakes, cupcakes and more.  All these parties people have and no one has time to make them themselves.
23. House and Home Tasks – can you fix a fence?  Fix a faucet?  Replace an outlet?  All those little things on a “to do” list need someone!
24. Car washing and detailing – sure anyone can go through a car wash.  But do their cars get completely cleaned?  What about the inside of their cars?  Wash the outside and the entire inside and make $200.  Wax and earn a whole lot more.
25. Elder care and comfort – we are in a world with a huge elderly population.  They need assistance paying bills, grocery shopping, calling places to resolve issues such as billing issues, laundry, and just plain old keeping them company.
26. House cleaning – yes, I did this one too.  In college I did many things and this was one.  I simply posted an add in our local people advertising my services.  One family I worked for simply wanted me to come and do their dishes after dinner every night.

There you have it – there are even more options than this but most of these I have done and quite a few I still do.  Which tells me – you can TOO!