12 Home Business Ideas You can Start In 2024
Whether you are looking to start a business as a side hustle or to replace your full-time job, there are thousands of ways to start a profitable business at-home.
Here are 12 home business ideas to start:
- Virtual assistant business
A virtual assistant (VA) helps other business owners and executives handle some of the tasks required in day-to-day operations. A virtual assistant business offers certain services to these executives for an hourly or package rate. Services might include blog writing, social media management, travel arrangements and appointment setting. To be an effective VA, you must be organised and have the skills to adequately meet your clients’ needs.
There are no overhead costs to starting a VA business. All you need is your computer and an internet connection. Many VAs get their first clients by joining popular social media small business groups and offering their services or through freelance marketplaces such as LinkedIn, Upwork and Fiverr.
2. Recruitment agency
A recruiting or staffing agency is responsible for sourcing great candidates for open positions at other companies. Because recruiting and human resources can be a very time-consuming and therefore costly process, many businesses are willing to pay recruiters who manage to find them the perfect candidate for their open roles. For this service, recruiters typically earn a commission anywhere from 10 to 20 percent of the candidate’s salary.
For example, a recruiter who successfully places a candidate into a position that pays £70,000 will earn a £7,000 commission if their rate was 10-percent. Alternatively, recruiters may get paid on a per hour basis, where they are paid for each hour a placed candidate works (typically the case for short-term contracted positions).
While recruiting and staffing agencies were traditionally brick-and-mortar businesses, many agencies are now fully remote meaning that it’s entirely possible to start from the comfort of your home. To get started, you will need to learn the ins and outs of recruiting, and be prepared to spend a lot of time cold calling and setting up email campaigns to recruit businesses as clients and job seekers as applicants.
3. Doggy daycare
If you love animals and own a home with ample space, a good home business idea for you might be to start a doggy daycare business. On average, doggy daycares charge anywhere from £20 to £45 per day per dog. So, if you have the right space at home and a love for dogs, you could earn, say £100 per day by taking care of just four dogs at £25 per day.
On top of the daily daycare rates, many doggy daycare businesses earn revenue by offering add-on services, such as training, bathing or grooming. Depending on what you’re looking to do, it may be worth exploring relevant certifications and courses to help give you the credentials clients are looking for. Additionally, while it can be a low-cost home business idea, you may also want to consider potential costs such as fencing and home maintenance.
4. Print-on-demand business
A print-on-demand business usually involves T-shirts, hats, other apparel and home goods. As the business owner, you don’t need to carry inventory because the items are printed when the item is purchased. They are made to order, which saves you the hassle and cost of buying and storing items for sale.
Most successful print-on-demand businesses have a niche that they serve with logos and designs that are attractive to that niche. For example, if you are an avid cyclist, you might create apparel that is designed for the cycling community. Because there is no inventory, your initial costs are getting designs produced if you can’t do that yourself and having a website where people can buy your products.
5. Sell online classes
If you’re an expert at something, you may be able to create and teach an online course. This might be a marketing class or a yoga class. The course possibilities are endless. Those starting an online course should be an expert in that field with years of experience doing the thing they are teaching. However, you don’t need a special credential to teach an online class.
There are different ways to market the course. You can join online course communities such as Udemy or LinkedIn. Doing so lets you get the publicity and marketing from the platform but share in the revenue generated. Or you can set up a website just for your courses. This, of course, will cost you, but you then get 100% of the revenues generated.
6. Start a dropshipping store
The great thing about dropshipping is that you can sell just about anything and don’t need to buy the inventory to do so. In a dropshipping model, you find a wholesale distributor that will package and ship the product to your consumers upon sales confirmation. The product comes directly from the distributor; you serve merely as the marketer and service representative in these transactions.
Because there is no inventory, dropshipping businesses are generally considered a low-cost business to start. To start a dropshipping business, you will need to find a dropshipper that offers the products you want to sell at a price you can markup and make a profit off of, as well as a website where you can list your products, such as Shopify.
The leading dropshipping suppliers offer integrations so that when someone places an order from your site, it automatically fulfils your order and sends your customer the product they purchased. For more information, learn how to start a dropshipping business.
7. Web design agency
If you are creative and skilled in building websites, you may want to look into starting a web design or graphic design agency. Every day businesses look to web designers and graphic designers to help them create marketing materials and to create a professional presence online. It’s a home business idea that can be started with little money. All you need is an optimised website and exposure online (e.g., through Google My Business, Upwork or Fiverr).
8. Professional consulting services
If you’re an expert in your field you may want to consider a professional consulting business. There are all sorts of professional consulting services, covering a wide range of topics from restaurant consulting to legal consulting – not just business consulting, which is the most well-known area of consulting. So no matter what your background is, if you have a depth of knowledge, it may be possible to start a home-based business helping others who are new to your field gain an advantage and progress their career or business.
9. Online tutoring business
If you’re a subject matter expert and have a knack for explaining things to others, consider a career in tutoring. You can make up to £60 an hour by helping high school and college students through their coursework. There are sites that you can sign up on that will help you market your services, or you can set up a website and source your own clients.
The startup costs are low, though you may want to invest in some textbooks that will help you with explanations and problems to give to your students as well as one of the best video conference software systems to facilitate tutoring online. You may also want to invest in online teaching programs such as Canvas or Blackboard to help you work with students remotely.
10. Professional photography
If you have an eye for composition and the ability to get the best pictures out of people, you might consider a photography business. You can be a niche photographer, focusing on weddings or special events, corporate headshots, real estate or family photos. It’s up to you and your skill set as to the types of images you capture.
To become a photographer, you’ll need to invest the time into learning professional photography, honing your skills, and building a portfolio to showcase your work. Additionally, you’ll need a quality camera with the right lens attachments, lights and filters. You’ll also need to get a good digital software editing program to help you fine-tune the images once you capture them. You may also want to have a website that shows your portfolio and helps you get new clients.
11. Education adviser
For some, getting into the right college is the first step to career success. Many parents will spend a lot of money to help their children get into the best schools. As a college consultant, you help assess what the options are for a student, help prepare students for tests, advise on school essays and assist with financial aid.
There is no certification required to become a college consultant, though you should be well versed in navigating the financial aid and scholarship avenues for students.
12. Print On Demand
A print-on-demand business is one where products, such as t-shirts, mugs, or posters, are only produced after they are ordered. This allows for customization and reduces the need for inventory management, as items are created as needed. Here are steps to start a successful POD business:
• Choose your niche: Decide what type of products you want to sell and who your target audience is. It could be apparel, accessories, home decor, or any other category.
• Select a platform: Choose a print-on-demand platform or service provider to work with. The Popular option is Printify https://try.printify.com/2g11r2clspwj
• Create designs: Develop unique designs that will appeal to your target market. You can create them yourself if you have design skills, hire a designer, or use design software like canva and online resources to create them.
• Set up your online store: Create an online store using an e-commerce platform like Shopify, WooCommerce, or Etsy. Customize your store to reflect your brand and upload your designs to your chosen print-on-demand platform.
• Market your products: Promote your products through social media, email marketing, influencer partnerships, and other channels to drive traffic to your store. Engage with your audience and build a community around your brand.
• Manage orders and customer service: Monitor your orders, ensure timely production and shipping, and provide excellent customer service to maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Evaluate and iterate: Continuously analyze your sales, customer feedback, and marketing efforts to identify areas for improvement and optimize your business strategy.
If you are ready to start a business at home, this list will help give you some ideas of easy-to-start businesses. Most don’t require a degree or any specialised training. Find something you love to do and turn it into a profitable business.