Most of these opportunities require minimal start-up costs and offer a tremendous amount of schedule flexibility. We hope to provide you with a variety of profitable ideas that suit your interests, talents and financial needs.
Here are 20 unique home business opportunities that are available for you to start working on today.
1. AUTO DETAILING
Americans drive one-third of the automobiles in the world, even though they account for only 1/20 of the world’s population. With over a hundred million automobiles on the road today, auto detailers are in ever-increasing demand. Most people do not have the time, nor patience, to properly maintain their vehicles. As a result, many automobile owners are willing to pay a professional to take over this responsibility. Auto detailing is a lucrative business opportunity because of its steady clientele base and low overhead costs. Detailers can make $50-$100 per car in their very own driveways.
2. MAIL-ORDER
The number of people who shop by mail has increased significantly over the past ten years. Today, a wide variety of products are sold by mail including cosmetics, books, toys, and food. The key to mail-order success is carefully researching the market and identifying customer needs. Next, come up with a unique item to sell, that is both appealing and easy to ship, i.e. lightweight and not breakable. Gain business by either sending information about your product directly to your customers or by advertising your product in a reputable catalog. With a high quality product and a proper advertising strategy, your mail-order business will be profitable in no time.
3. NEWSLETTER PUBLISHING
Is there a particular topic or hobby that fascinates you? Chances are, many others share this common interest and would enjoy hearing more about it. Publishing your own special-interest newsletter is a means of merging your personal and professional interests. It takes time to build up circulation, however, accruing subscribers can be expedited by purchasing mailing lists from organizations that provide products or services that pertain to your newsletter. For example, if you have a passion for mountain biking and want to make money by expressing it, purchase a mailing list from a renowned bike shop or from an established biking journal. With sufficient leads, you will be on your way to publishing prosperity.
4. PARTY COORDINATOR
Be the life of any party! Earn dollars by organizing birthdays, wedding receptions, graduation parties, and bar mitzvahs. Being a professional party coordinator is a great way to meet new people and have fun while you work. Start-up costs are low, profits are high. You organize the entertainment, prepare the food, and supply the decorations. After all the guests leave, you provide the clean-up. Since there is always an occasion to celebrate, party coordinators are in demand year round. So if you really know how to party, why keep this secret all to yourself?
5. CHILD CARE PROVIDER
Due to the increase in both double-income and single parent families, the need for child care providers has skyrocketed. Parents across the nation are desperately looking for people who can meet the social, physical, and mental needs of their children. To become a child care provider, you must take courses in first aid and obtain a license from the city. If your house has ample room, it can easily be converted into a day care facility. A nurturing environment for children should be safe and clean, containing plenty of educational toys and games. Opening a day care facility is ideal for mothers who want to stay home with their own children.
6. PERSONAL SHOPPER
Shopping… America’s favorite pastime. Turn the most popular contact sport of the 90s into a money-making operation! Earn dollars by pushing a cart down the frozen food aisle of your neighborhood supermarket. Spend your workday getting exercise at the local mall. Its easy, its stress-free, and its probably the only opportunity you will get to shop with other people’s money. The greatest part of all is that there are absolutely no start-up costs. Demand for personal shoppers is relatively high. People who work full time, senior citizens, and the disabled are all in need of shopping assistance. So, if you are a certified shopaholic and are familiar with all the best bargains in town, this may be the right job for you.
7. BOOKKEEPER
Looking for a way to earn between $20,000 and $70,000 out of your home? If you have strong organizational and math skills, bookkeeping is a good occupation for you. Even if number crunching is not your specialty, there are many bookkeeping software packages on the market that assist amateur bookkeepers. As a bookkeeper, you will be in charge of maintaining your client’s financial records. Tasks entail keeping track of accounts receivable and payable, reconciling bank payments, and preparing payrolls. You will also be responsible for preparing financial statements, varying from balance sheets to income statements.
8. TUTOR
If you excel in a particular discipline or musical instrument, sharing this talent with others can be a worthwhile activity. Tutors run on their own schedules and earn up to $40 an hour for an individual session, and up to $200 an hour for a group session. Advertise your tutoring service by distributing flyers throughout the neighborhood and by listing a classified ad within the local newspaper. Don’t let your talents go unrecognized! Make money at home and enjoy the self-gratifying experience of teaching others.
9. SHUTTLE DRIVER
Despite the giant boom in home businesses over the past decade, the majority of the American labor force still commutes to work every day. Commutes range anywhere between 2 minutes and 2 hours, depending on traffic. Because of the time and money saving incentives of carpooling, many Americans have decided to drive to work in one vehicle. Sometimes this one vehicle is a hired shuttle that takes people to and from work, offering such amenities as a continental breakfast in the morning. To be a shuttle driver, you must have a registered van and an occupational license. The start-up costs are high if you do not have a van, yet earning business is easy, especially in metropolitan areas.
10. PROFESSIONAL CLEANING SERVICE
Few people openly admit to enjoying the art of cleaning. However, professional cleaning services have enjoyed much success over the past decade and continue to proliferate across the country. Professional cleaning businesses serve both residential and commercial clients, in both general and specialized areas. Specialty areas include carpet cleaning, ceiling cleaning, or upholstery cleaning. Getting listed in the classified ad section of the local newspaper and distributing flyers throughout the neighborhood are the best ways to advertise your cleaning service. By word of mouth, your reputation will grow and bring you future clients.
11. HOME FINDER
It is challenging for people to find new places to live when they work from 9 to 5, five days a week. It is also challenging when the housing market is completely saturated and vacancies are not well publicized. Under these circumstances, home finders have relieved many people of the burden of locating suitable accommodations. Home finders take on the harrowing experience of finding housing for their clients and get paid generously. Starting a home finding service is a great home business opportunity of the 90s due to transitional labor markets. More than ever, people are moving to new locations to satisfy job demands.
12. EXERCISE AND NUTRITION CONSULTANT
Help others reach their goals of physical fitness and overall well-being. By becoming an exercise and nutrition consultant, you can influence the lifestyles of many individuals and direct them down the path of health and happiness. Depending on location, health consultants earn up to $100 an hour. Special training is required in the fields of physical fitness and nutrition, yet the only other start-up costs are advertising. This occupation is ideal for a person who is highly active, energetic and able to effectively motivate others.
13. INTERNET WEBMASTER
Internet illiteracy is an Achilles’ heal for many small and medium-sized businesses. For this reason, many businesses resistant to technological change are willing to pay exorbitant amounts of money for assistance. As a professional webmaster, you will help businesses adapt to the rapid changes in telecommunications. Your tasks will include creating websites and instructing businesses on how to sell and provide customer service over the Internet. This is one of the fastest-growing fields in home business and has outstanding income potential.
14. EQUIPMENT RENTAL
Most people do not keep chainsaws and steam-cleaning vacuums hidden in their garages, and with good reason. These pieces of equipment are expensive and infrequently used. If a person needs to trim the giant Oak in the front yard once a year, that person will probably not mind paying the annual rental fee to obtain the proper equipment. The same principle applies to extra tables and chairs people need on special occasions. People who infrequently entertain do not find it necessary to invest in excess furniture they do not have the room to store. Rental services which offer these extra items have been around for a long time, yet few have been home businesses. Start-up costs are high, but long-term profits are almost guaranteed.
15. REAL ESTATE APPRAISER
Make over $75,000 a year by assessing the value of residential and commercial property. People interested in this line of work must take courses in real estate appraisal and get certified in their state. Correspondence classes are available in the areas of: value assessment, building structural analysis, land-use and environmental regulations, financial management and economic forecasting. Local banks, lending institutions, lawyers, buyers, sellers and tax collectors all heavily rely upon the work of real estate appraisers. If you have good judgment and high quantitative skills, this job opportunity could give you the chance to utilize your strengths.
16. ESTATE SALE COORDINATOR
Approximately 90% of us are packrats. We have difficulty parting with the clothes we wore in high school, even though they are now four sizes too small. We have difficulty getting rid of old typewriters that are still in perfect condition, yet have been replaced by personal computers. If we want to get rid of these items, we want some sort of monetary compensation. The only viable solution is to have an estate sale. But how many of us actually want to organize such an event? Estate sale coordinators take care of the dirty work and ensure that people get justly compensated for giving up their prized possessions. In return, estate sale coordinators get to take home between 25% and 45% of the profits.
17. COMPUTER CONSULTANT
Computer consulting services have increased rapidly due to the streamlining of businesses across the nation. Now, it is commonplace for small businesses and large corporations alike to hire outside computer consultants to solve their business problems. Computer consultants must not only be adept at identifying company needs, but must be able to offer useful recommendations on how to meet these needs. Being able to offer suitable recommendations requires that one is familiar with all the available computer software and hardware systems. If you have a strong technical background and the drive to make over $100,000 a year, becoming a computer consultant is a good way of realizing your full potential as a home business entrepreneur.
18. ANTIQUE DEALER
Do you spend your Saturday mornings garage sale hopping? If so, becoming an antique dealer may be right up your alley. Antique dealers profit through buying, selling and trading antiques. Half of the work consists of accumulating collectible items, the other half consists of selling these collectible items at a higher resale price. On average, antique dealers bring in about $200-$600 a week. This opportunity is perfect for anyone who has an eye for value and strong negotiation skills.
19. DESK-TOP PUBLISHING
Add one computer, one high-resolution printer, one desktop publishing software package, stir in a healthy imagination and you can be on your way to brewing up a profitable business. Clients ranging from medium-sized companies to government agencies hire desktop publishers every day for a variety of tasks. As a desktop publisher, you produce annual reports, promotional brochures, newsletters and quarterly journals from your own home. Tap into your creative side and take advantage of this excellent employment opportunity.
20. MEDICAL BILLING
Doctors are required by law to submit claims to Medicare on behalf of their patients. Due to a growing elderly population, health providers have become tied down with processing thousands of claims a month. Doctors cannot keep up with the paper work and have turned to home-based services for help. Medical billing services process insurance claims not just to Medicare, but to Medicaid and private insurance companies as well.
Medical billing services have multiplied feverishly over the past decade. With appropriate software, home business operators have been able to file claims electronically, providing a service that saves time and money for their clients. HBM
