12:02 PM
Lanee' Blunt
By
Lanee’ Blunt
There
are some profitable ways to make money from home. Turn a small space into an
office or an empty bedroom into a home office where you can see clients. It
doesn’t have to be fancy but you’ll need somewhere to place a desk, chair, and
a sitting area for clients.
Starting
a home business is a solution for many people whether you're a mom with small
children at home, a student, or you've been laid off there are plenty of
opportunities out there to start a small business inexpensively. Working from home will offer you independence
and some have the potential to grow into a full-time business. You have a
decision to make if you are going to sell a service or a product.
Service Home Business
Resume Writing
A
resume writing service can be started at very low cost and can be set up
quickly. If you can write a professional resume and have a way with people, you
can help them when they need you the most. Help job seekers create a powerful
tool that will highlight their job experience and achievements. Most fees for
resume writing range between $100 and $400 according to resume-resource.com.
Advertise your resume writing service in the employment classified section of
your local newspaper. Advertise in colleges by placing your fliers on bulletin
boards around the campus.
Freelance Writing
If
you love writing everyday then you should consider being a freelance
writer. You can write query letters and
write for magazine publishers, write a nonfiction book, or novel. Write content for corporations, small
businesses, or the medical field. There
are websites that post jobs for writers such as Freelancer.com and Elance.com
give them a try for online freelance work.
Data Entry
Starting
a data entry business doesn't require a lot of overhead, and is a business to
get into with minimum upfront investment.
You can work the business as a home based business or if you are planning
on hiring employees lease office space. You will have to find clients, have an
eye for detail, and be an excellent typist.
Data
entry work exists in many types of companies and corporations. Cold call corporations, small businesses, and
other industries if you are starting your business without referrals. Get
clients by looking at job boards, search the internet, and send direct
mail. Start with a few clients and ask
for referrals. Once you have established
a steady client base and have an inflow of funds, hire employees to service
more clients. Your pay is depended on speed and volume.
Consulting
Work
as a consultant. Do you have experience in an existing field? Put your skills
and experience to work in a home business and hire your services out on an
hourly rate or a flat fee. Market your education and experience and find work
online or send direct mail to local companies and corporations. Consider
opening a consultant home business. If
you are an expert in your field or know something better than most people you
can hire out your services. Network and
contact people that you have done work for in the past and let them know about
your business. Print business cards;
create a website and cold call.
Computer Technician
If
you have experience there are a lot of people and small business that need you,
for example doctor’s and dentist offices because some are not automated or they
need to be updated. Set up your business
from home. You can bill them by the hour or a flat fee.
Personal trainer
You
don't need a studio to work as a personal trainer you can visit clients at
their homes and offices. Some people don't have time to go to the gym and they
want the convenience of working with a personal trainer. The National
Federation of Professional Trainers will provide information on certification,
insurance and marketing.
Apply for Business License
Acquire
a “Doing Business As,” DBA. Register a legal name for your business if you are
going to use a name other than your own name. Apply for the DBA with a
registration form with your state and local government.
Apply
for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the US Internal Revenue
Service if you have hired employees. Open a business bank account so that you
can keep your personal finances separate from your business.
Start
Up
You
can start up a service business with a low startup cost. The biggest finance
will be equipment. You will need a computer with modem and printer, fax
machine, and internet service. Create a website and print up brochures.
Product Home Business
Online Store
Sell
products on eBay, Amazon, or Craigslist. Or you can set up an online store and
sell products on your own website with a drop-shipping service. Get a web host.
It will provide you with space and support to create your website. Design your
website because it will be considered your store front. You can also sell used
goods or buy goods wholesale. Sell many of your own products with your own
ecommerce store, and work with wholesale suppliers.
E commerce store you can sell many of your own items, but you can also work with wholesale
suppliers. A cheap web hosting and templates help you to build a website for
your own catalog on the web.
You
must have sales tax ID. To sell products you need to collect sales taxes, you must
apply for a Sales Tax Permit from your state or local government. In order to
deal with wholesalers and distributors you will need the tax ID before they
will let you open an account with them.
There
are many web hosting services that allow you to use your own domain name.
Design your website. Get an account with an online provider such as Amazon, Yahoo,
or eBay. Set up a drop shipping arrangement with them. Start promoting your
online store.
Crafts
If
you are good at creating your own products for example, crafts, candle making,
ceramics or baked goods you can set up an Etsy.com account. If you are not creative you can buy products
wholesale and sell them online on sites like eBay, and Craigslist.
Homemade
crafts are beautiful and are high quality, and are popular with consumers
shopping for unique gift items and home decor.
Many people don't sell their crafts because they don't know where they
might get the highest exposure and where to sell them. Making and selling crafts at home requires an
opportunity to make good money, find new customers at little cost and operate
with little or no overhead.
High
Quality
Make
a high quality item. Customers want very high quality when it comes to buying
handmade items. They pay for superior
workmanship.
Photographs
Take
high quality photographs of all your crafts that you are selling. Write good
product descriptions of the items. Use a unique selling position.
Choose
Place to Sell Online
Etsy
Sign
up. You will need a credit card to confirm your identity. You can customize
your shop with a banner and profile. They will give you your own URL for your
shop.
Homemade
Catalog
They
offer different packages. Pay $4.95 per month or $40.00 per year for Basic
Membership; or $7.95 per month or $60.00 per year for Standard Membership or
$12.95 per month or $100 per year for Professional Membership. The basic lets
you list up to 50 items. The Standard package allows up to 250 products, plus 3
listings per year on the main page. The Professional package lets you have your
own special URL which will feature your business on their Crafter's list, plus
list up to 1,200 products and 5 products per page on the main page.
There
are many more so do your homework.
Trade
Shows
Rent
booth space and it will run typically $200 to $300 at some shows. Factor in travel cost and cost of the table,
banner, and materials. Start small and price your items right. Make sure that
you will be able to process credit cards because it is the common currency of
shows and fairs.
Reference:
Entrepreneur;
Businesses You Can Start at Home; Lesley Spencer Pyle; 2010
MSN
Money; America's Best Home-Based Businesses; Start up Nation; 2010
Entrepreneur:
How to Sell at Craft Fairs and Shows
