This article is Part One in a five part series about working from home. Today the topic how to start that business and other business ideas.
Other topics will include:
Finding your passion
What’s in a name
Pricing
Marketing
What job can I do from home?
Working from home is one the most popular ways for mums with children to earn extra income and stay socially connected. It is also a great way to earn money on the side if you already have a part time job, so what sort of businesses can be run from home. There are as many as your imagination really, but we have listed just five areas for you to consider.
1. What is your talent?
1. What is your talent?Artworks, paintings, etchings, photography, scrapbooking, sewing, papercrafts, jewellery making. These are all easily set up as home based businesses. Try and make the items yourself, they can be sold at local market stalls or through businesses at your nearby shopping centre. Artworks, paintings and photography can be displayed in doctors, dentists or physiotherapy surgeries. Rotate them once a month to keep people’s interest up. Don’t forget to leave a stack of business cards as well. If you are confident you could offer classes in your forte. I have a friend who is an excellent charcoal artist. She runs 6 week courses from her home for up to 8 people at a time. Arts and crafts are very popular and a great way to get your talents recognised.
2. What is your training?
Do you have qualifications to run a home business? Perhaps this is in massage or fitness training, teaching or coaching, or other similar business. These type of businesses are easily set up in a spare room at home and you can regulate the hours you want to work. Advertise in your local paper, put a sign out the front and don’t forget to leave business cards in complementary businesses around town. Eg. If you are a masseur, leave your cards with the personal fitness trainer down the road. Or if you are a financial planner get to know the accountants in your area. If you are a teacher offer tutoring at the local schools.
3. What is your experience?
Have you been running someone else’s office for the past five years. Put that experience to good use. Offer part time administration or organisational assistance to businesses. Many small businesses can’t afford to keep people on a full time wage so canvas your area and see what local enterprises need. Get some business cards and start knocking on doors to get your name and your face known. Thanks to the internet many business functions can be done from home such as data entry, typing, responding to emails, bookkeeping, document control. Their business number can even be diverted to your home number if their office needs to be left unattended. You effectively become their personal answering service.
4. What is your passion?
Is gardening your passion? Why not start propagating some plants and sell them from your garage. Do you enjoy helping people? Lifeline is always looking for telephone counsellors and they provide all the training needed. Some hospitals and baby clinics offer new parents telephone support and they also provide training. If you can’t go a day without checking out eBay, then why not make that time earn you some money. I know a lady that goes to shop sell outs and liquidation sales and buys quality items at ridiculously low prices, then sells them on eBay. She has made quite a lot of money this way. And the internet is a marketers delight so if you are good at producing websites, facebook pages or even logos and copywriting, there is a whole world out there just waiting for your services.
5. Be committed
There are many options but don’t forget business is a big commitment. If you’re interested in an out of the box way to create an income when someone pays a phone, mobile, internet or electricity bill, then we may have something for you. It is based on a very traditional but successful business model which helps you leverage your time and money. This will even include your very own website!
Home run business is a website provided by the University of Adelaide that contains numerous ideas for starting a home based business.
Mums in business has a host of helpful tips and ideas for mums in business.
Part 1 in a 5 part series
Next article: Finding your passion
We have more detailed tips on starting a tech based business at home, professional work at home job or starting an online store.
About the author
Nic Jones is the Director of Market Me, a business which started just over 2 years ago on Facebook and has grown to produce a fulltime income. She is a mum of twin boys (3yrs old), and a 6yr old daughter. Every day she juggles 2 businesses and her family responsibilities and loves being able to set her own schedules and be able to create an income around her family. Her passion is in helping businesses grow ‘the smart way’, and Market Me’s services are based on this concept. To see all Nic’s articles, click here.
