This article looks at 7 possible home business opportunities.
1. The Antique Trade
This involves making money from old treasures.You can source stock from charity shops, bootfairs,garage sales, estate auctions and flea markets for great bargains on antique furniture, toys, clothing and other antique items.To sell your antique you can rent space at fairs ,sell online through your own website or use an auction website like ebay.The antique trade is one that can be run as a home business.The antique market is one that will remain lively for the foreseeable future.There are a lot of books you can read and TV programmes you can watch to educate you about antiques.A good example will be How to Be Successful in the Antique Business: A Complete Guide to Opening and Running Your Own Antique Shop (Paperback)by Ronald S.Barlow(Author)
2. Baking and Cooking
If you are a person who like cooking and baking.You could consider a home based business baking cakes,you could even include sandwiches which you take around to local businesses at lunch time to sell.If you are passionate about baking and cooking there are a lot of books on the subject you could read to develop your knowledge on the subject.You can market your business by word of mouth.As word of your business spreads your customer base widens.
A good guide for a baking business will be The Baker's Trade: A Recipe for Creating the Successful Small Bakery (Paperback)
by Zachary Y. Schat (Author)
3.The Bed and Breakfast Business
The Bed and breakfast business is one that will always be popular because there will always be people who would like to stay in a place with a home like atmosphere as opposed to a hotel like atmosphere.If your customers enjoy their stay you are likely to get repeat business from them.
A bed and breakfast would not normally require any major refurbishment of your home.You can be up and running in no time.You will need advertising to market your business and supplies for the guest room.While running a bed and breakfast is not easy work,its important to bear in mind that the hours can be long and it’s often a seven days week business.A good book on the subject will be Start Your Own Bed & Breakfast (Paperback)
by Entrepreneur Magazine (Editor).
4. Child Minder Services
Due to an increase in the number of working parents there is a growing need for quality child care.If who love children and want to build a business caring for them then this could be your home based business opportunity.Children require supervision when they’re not in school, or for a brief time after school before their parents finish work.
Looking after just one child may not be that profitable,but looking after several children can be a financially viable business.
This can be done from home with a small budget to cover equipment,toys and advertising.
There are several publications that address starting this type of business.A good guide for this business will be The Professional Nanny (Paperback)by Monica M. Bassett (Author)
5.Computer Repair Services.
If you like computers and can assemble, sell, and service PC's then this is your ideal home based business.If you are interested in computers but do not have the abovementioned skills then a PC build workshop over one weekend and a little reading on the subject will bring you up to speed in no time.If you have internet access you can join Pc building and servicing fora
where you would get the opportunity to "pick the brains" of more experienced PC technicians.You also require a PC to practice.I would suggest that you do not use the same PC you use to access the internet to practice as you may have to seek information online whilst practicing.It is important that you pay close attention to the following skills to make your business a success:
-Trouble shooting software
-Purchasing
-Managing your inventory
-Book Keeping
-Pricing
-Customer care
-Time management
6.Organic Vegetable Gardening
If you enjoy gardening then this could be your kind of business.A growing market for organically grown foodstuffs that have not been treated with chemicals has led to an increase in the demand for organic foodstuff.Organic foodstuff tend to command higher prices because of the way they are produced.The way they are produced is such that they cannot be mass produced.
There is a growing number of people who feel strongly about foodstuffs treated with chemicals and are happy to pay a premium for organically grown foodstuffs.
Your organic foodstuffs can be sold through health stores,roadside stands,markets and fairs.
It is important to state when advertising your foodstuffs that theyhave been grown naturally without any chemicals.
A good guide on organic vegetable gardening will be Organic Vegetable Production: A Complete Guide (Paperback)by Gareth Davies (Editor), Margi Lennartsson (Editor)
7. Import-Export Business
An import and export business is one that can be run from home.You would require a computer,a list of contacts,a business plan and an internet connection to start with. You may have to rent some storage space, but the capital required to start should be for buying the products you want to sell here.Everyone likes a good bargain but not everyone has the time and resources to travel around the world looking them.As an import export business you will search and find products that you then sell on for a bit more than you bought it to enable you to make a decent profit.
There is long list of items manufactured in other countries that will sell very well in your
country.You would need to undertake market research to establish what will sell in your market.
Once know what to import and who is most likely to purchase your goods, you have a good chance of success.
A good guide for this type of business would be Building an Import/Export Business (Paperback)
by Kenneth D. Weiss (Author)
These are my 7 Home business idea suggestions.Until next time Goodbye and Good Luck.
