Are you tired of staying at home, doing nothing productive with your life? Has the job hunt been going on for far too long? Or is the housewife role resulting in a waste of all the potential inside you? – Well, you need not worry anymore, as there are several gigs that you can run from home with zero investment. Yes! You read that right. You don’t need an investor, you don’t need a business plan – just some dedicated time daily and you’re good to go. So let’s see what those gigs are…
35 Small Businesses You Can Run From Your Home
1- Writing
If you are someone who has the skills to write, you are certainly in for something bigger than just a regular 9-5! Using freelance platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer, etc., you can create your profile and list your services for various types of writing. This includes copywriting, editing, proofreading, creative writing, e-books, blogs, articles, etc. It just doesn’t end there – After investing a few months of hard work, you will be able to have a good profile rating. This directly means that your working rate will now be higher than what your local market might be offering for a content writer position.
In addition to this, once you have invested the right amount of time and effort, you can create your agency where you have the opportunity to build up a team and make even better money!
Pros:
— Easy to start – you just need a laptop/tab and a good internet connection and that’s about it
— Opportunity to grow within the freelancing world
— Opportunity to add your writing experience to your portfolio/CV
— Various writing projects usually cover topics for which you have to research about – this will help you to be well-informed of all the happenings in various sectors and industries
Cons:
— Tends to get monotonous after some time
— At times, the initial profile build-up period on freelancing platforms could be extensive
2- Catering & Baking
Do you love food? Well, we all do… Do you love to cook? This is something not all of us can do, right? So if you have the skills to cook or bake those nice cakes or cookies, you can get the ball rolling right away! All those social media culinary pages that you see, some of them you might have liked or followed as well, guess what, they were in the same place a few months or years ago as you are today. By having the advantage of cheaper access to marketing techniques via social media presence, you can be a well-known chef in a very quick time if you trust your instincts and get on with it today!
Pros:
— Less expensive to start from your home kitchen
— Easy to have social media presence via pages on Facebook, Instagram, etc.
— Easy to expand in the long-run
Cons:
— Catching up to speed with the number of orders might become a hassle very soon, if not managed properly
— Might need extra manpower to assist, adding up to the business cost
3- Blogging
This is another great way to start making money from home – if you have the knowledge or the passion for a certain topic of interest, start blogging and make money. You might have seen a lot of social media bloggers these days, some of them quite famous too, who have turned the blogging concept into a small enterprise, with millions of followers on their Instagram and Facebook pages. With mechanisms such as Google Adsense, you can earn money on your blog based upon the number of clicks you receive or the number of impressions you get.
Pros:
— Easy to set up your blog (website, social media page, etc.)
— What you love is what you get paid for
— Your information on a certain subject is put to use at its best
Cons:
— Might take time to make money with a blog initially due to high competition in the blogging world
— Once the blog gets going, you might need a lot of time to invest in it, since you have to keep your followers and readers well-informed and up-to-date at any given time
4- Affiliate Marketing
Ever seen those unique URLs on a website or an app, or those third-party product recommendations within a blog or an article that you read online? Well, it’s pretty simple – Help a seller to sell their product and get a commission for that. Yes, it’s that simple. All you need to do is to add their product link on your website or blog and each time they make a sale through a visitor from your website, they will be notified and hence pay you the commission for that. If you run a blog or have a social media page, you can make good money with affiliate marketing, considering you use it in the right way.
Pros:
— Once you get to know how to use it, you can implement it on your website or social media page with zero hassle
— Easy way to make money while continuing to focus on your main business idea
— Directly proportional to the success of your blog/social media page(s)
Cons:
— Affiliate marketing might not be successful for every business model – At times business shut down their programs and your revenue might suffer
— Demographic and geographic factors might play a vital role as far as affiliate marketing is concerned. Choosing which direction to go is something that needs to be done very carefully
5- Podcasting/YouTube Channel
Do you think you know about a certain topic or subject? Talk about it, make a recording and let others hear – oh, the best part? Get paid for these audio files. Yes, that’s the world of Podcasting in the modern day! There are a lot of popular and renowned Podcasters who generate some serious money by creating a series of episodes on a certain topic, for which they have a huge subscriber list. The files can either be played online or downloaded on your mobile device so that you do not miss out on any episode or newly added content.
Where is the money-making part? Well, via mechanisms such as affiliate marketing, CPM (Cost per impression) models, e-books and guides, paid sponsors, partnership programs, etc.
Pros:
— Doable for anyone with knowledge or information for a certain topic
— Multiple ways to earn with a podcast channel (as mentioned above)
— Having a series means you have loyal subscribers who can later be targeted for another topic of interest
Cons:
— Again, the competition is quite high as far as podcasters are concerned, so if your content does not add value, your channel might not be as successful as you might have expected
— Maintaining a series and ensuring each episode is top-notch, is not a piece of cake for everyone
6- IT Services
If you are someone with technical IT background and experience, well, you can do a lot even if you do not have a fancy 9-5. With all those freelancing platforms available over the internet today, you can sell your services to clients remotely and can make good money with a huge opportunity to expand in the longer run.
There are clients and middlemen who are looking for technical resources to either join their team of remote resources or work for them on a project basis – either way, can prove to be a steady source of income in the beginning and later on you might well be in a position to build up your team and go for profit maximization.
Pros:
— Your technical knowledge might get paid well as compared to what your local market has to offer
— You work on your terms, with as little bossy culture as possible
— Getting long-term clients is a possibility that might result in helping you build a team later on
Cons:
— Initially, you might have to give a certain percentage to freelance platforms for using their services
— If you are getting clients without a trusted platform, that is a risk that might result in fraudulent behavior from the client.
7- Review Videos
Well, this is something that has seen a massive boost in the past couple of years. Remember all those video suggestions that might have seen for that last YouTube video you searched for before reading this article? In that list, usually, you will see ‘review videos’ from various YouTubers who give their viewpoint for a certain product/service that you are looking for. The concept of this model is to disseminate as much information as they possibly can to potential buyers and consumers for that specific product or service. This information helps the buyer to make the right purchase.
If you are someone whose channel has a good number of hits for these videos, you are certainly in for some serious money here! Via paid sponsorships, google ads, affiliate marketing, etc., your review videos can help you generate income which might be better than a 9-5 job or even a business startup that you have been working on for the past many months.
Pros:
— If your review videos start getting hits, this will increase your subscribers and open doors for other YouTubing ways to make money
— Having a strong YouTube presence directly means you are well-known on other social media platforms as well
Cons:
— Having good knowledge about the product/service is of vital importance. Know that there are people who might disagree or even challenge your reviews in the comments section if you are not at the top of your game
— Not every business sector or model might earn you good money with review videos. Make sure you are choosing the product from the right business model/sector as per your regional market trends
8- Interior Design
Do you have that artistic taste when it comes to house interiors and designs? Well, next time you give a free suggestion to your friend or family member, remember that you missed a potential customer right there. That’s right, home-based interior design consultancy is an ever-growing industry these days where potential customers pay really good money if they are satisfied with your portfolio and the work that you have done for your clients in the past.
This is certainly an idea that housewives in South Asian countries should pay attention to. It required minimal investment or knowledge about anything else, except for some short 3d design course or how to use software for drawings, etc. And that’s about it! Once people get to know you and your work, you will be in a position to set your prices and terms to work with and who knows, a few months later you might need an actual office space and a team to assist you with your workload!
Pros:
— Your artistic skills can be made the best use of with interior designing consultancy
— As they say, there is no price for art – directly means that once you get a good grip on your local market, they will pay whatever price you set for your work
Cons:
— Local market trends and tastes might vary from one region to another, at times, even within cities and towns. So what market you are targeting becomes an important question for you to ask yourself at the very initial stage
— In the early days, it is not usually easy to get clients since you do not have anything concrete to show to them
9- Video Production
With everyone having a cell phone in their pockets these days with all those technologically advanced cameras, one might think the videos they make will be of high quality. Sure they are, but does that mean everyone has the expertise to professionally edit videos that can be used for business purposes, online advertisements, etc.? Not really, and this is where your skills might come in provided that you have good experience with video production software such as Adobe Premiere, VideoStudio, etc.
If you know how to add all those spices in a video and make it look what your client expects it to be, this source of income can turn into a business startup before you even know it! To get you started, you can try out one of those freelancing platforms and get clients, start compiling your portfolio and once you have something good enough to showcase, you can set up your own business or a website for better revenue generation.
Pros:
— Video production software might seem easy to learn, but it takes a really good grip if you are to make long-term clientele with your skills
— Due to strong competition, you need to make sure you surpass your client’s expectations on each project – remember your client has a lot of options!
Cons:
— Clients turnover rate could be quite high initially, specifically if your work is not up to the mark
— This sort of work could get dry and seem quite boring if you are working from your room. So going to a coffee shop or hiring a shared workspace could be added costs.
10- Tutoring
This is something doable for people residing in countries like Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, etc., especially housewives who might face a lot of obstacles and hurdles should they choose to go for a regular 9-5 job. Tutoring is something that has always been a conventional way of earning money, however, with the addition of modern-day techniques and platforms via the internet, tutoring has never been so much fun and a great way to earn good money.
If you are into freelancing, you can work on your profile on one of the freelancing platforms such as Upwork, Fiverr, etc., get clients from all over the world, and if you are good enough with your teaching, coaching, or mentoring skills, you do get paid well. Once you have a good client list and a high demand for your work hours, you can increase your per hour rate and look towards even better income at a later stage.
Pros:
— Opportunity to polish your teaching skills
— You can earn a lot more for teaching as compared to local market salaries for teachers
— Opportunity to go for YouTube channels and Podcasts once you are a well-known teacher on a specific subject
Cons:
— As a teacher, yes you will need to stay up-to-date with all the happenings regarding your core subject/area of interest
— Don’t see any other negative apart from the one mentioned above!
11- Event Management
From large, heavily funded corporate events to that next door birthday party at your neighbor’s place – event management is something that you can go ahead with if you know how to remotely manage a team, making sure everyone is doing their job right with no mess-ups whatsoever! Just like with any other freelancing or small business startup idea, you might have doubts about your success as an event organizer in the initial days. Yes, it is not that simple, however, once you start learning about the tricks of the trade, this can turn into good money with very little time investment.
From time to time, you might have to travel to meet up with clients, try to get their expectations or the theme of the event they want to go ahead with, but mostly it can be done from home and does have a lot of room for growth and expansion over time.
Pros:
— Event organizing helps you grow your communication, salesperson, and team management skills
— Opportunity to increase your social networking through regular client meetings
— Opportunity to establish yourself as a brand if you play your cards well
Cons:
— The cost of a mess-up is quite high if a single event goes wrong
— It takes a long time to build a good rapport and takes one mistake to get back to square one
— Regional, religious and demographic factors might not always be favorable to you and your client’s expectations
12- Social Media Consultancy
We are part of a technologically advanced, fast-paced digital era where large-scale corporations and businesses have spent a lot of time and money to establish themselves on social media – to make sure they reach out to their target market the best way they possibly can. Every day we can see new sales and marketing methodologies being implemented to get the attention of a potential customer amidst high competition in almost every sector. However, is every business on top of their game as far as social media presence and marketing techniques are concerned?
Not quite, and this is where you might have an opportunity to cash in your skills as a social media expert. If you are someone who knows how the social media world works – what a potential buyer is looking for when it comes to a specific product or service, or what makes a loyal customer switch to a competitor brand – well, you’re in for a well-paid consultancy role that you can take up from home.
Pros:
— If your proposed models make a positive impact on those sales numbers, the business will tend to retain you even at a higher rate
— Client testimonials that you get in this field are usually directly from important people, for example, Sales Head, Digital Head, Marketing Head, and if they leave a good word for you, that is going to help you in the long run!
Cons:
— If you have not conducted good research on your client’s business model and proposed strategies that haven’t been fruitful, it could go downhill in a very quick time
— Just knowing what Instagram and Facebook are about, doesn’t make you a good candidate for Social Media consultancy – a good amount of information is required when it comes to SMM, SMO, SEO, etc.
13- Business Consultancy
Have you spent a lot of years in a specific business sector or industry? Well, that might benefit you while you are in between jobs or planning to start working from home. The business consultancy has evolved to a great extent in the past few years, with more and more people offering their services and experience to new business owners, entrepreneurs, etc.
If you have some sort of experience with a particular job role or industry, you can list yourself as a business consultant and get paid projects to assist organizations or owners regarding a specific task at hand – eventually, adding to your resume with more experience to your field of work.
Pros:
— Your experience can be put at good use
— Helps to build up a strong profile even without a regular 9-5 job
— Helps to develop strong professional relationships and PR
— Business consultants make good money in this modern corporate era
Cons:
— Unreliability factor – at times consultants face issues with organizations that do not pay on time
— Unlike your previous employer, you won’t be getting any fringe benefits, health insurance, etc. For someone who has worked a white-collar 9-5 before, this might be a sign of concern.
14-Photography
“Hey man, you know how to take a good picture!” – Ever heard this or a similar compliment from someone in your family or friends circle? Well, guess what, if you are good at photography and find it interesting, you can make actual money! You might have seen a lot of Instagram influencers and bloggers these days with their photography portfolios on their respective profiles. If your work is good, your followers will increase and if it reaches a decent number, you might start to get paid regularly.
Apart from this, you can even get started with a simple WordPress website of your own with your portfolio listed on it – regardless of whether you’re a wildlife photographer or someone who likes to cover weddings and other events. If you can advertise yourself through an effective marketing channel, you surely can start getting small gigs and grow over time.
Pros:
— This is more related to art – if you can get the ball rolling on something relevant to art, remember, at some point it gets priceless
— Easy to start with – you don’t need anything more than a decent DSLR and a social media account to kick-off
Cons:
— Competition is too high – social media platforms have paved the way for a lot of photobloggers to portray their work free of cost
— In this modern tech era, people are starting to get access to high-quality cameras even on their mobile phones. At some point, you might need to invest a bit more in your professional equipment to stand out from the rest.
15- Life Coaching
Ever watched those motivational speakers giving life coaching sessions on TED Talks videos over YouTube with that many hits? Well, it might take some time and real effort to get to that point, however, getting started with your own YouTube channel with similar life coaching sessions is not that hard. You will see a lot of social media personalities, print, and digital media motivational speakers, columnists, anchors, etc., who have earned success in very little time with these mentoring videos.
All of us have gone through experiences in our lives and learned our lessons in our ways. The only real challenge in this field is the fact whether you’re ready to share yours with the world or not.
Pros:
— You do not need anything to get started here – just your life lessons and that’s about it!
— Helps you gain immense confidence once you start interacting with your listeners
Cons:
— Not all followers are there to appreciate your sessions – in this line of work, you will get a lot of negative and even hateful comments since everyone might not resonate with your words and at times extract something quite opposite to what you were trying to say
— As compared to other types of bloggers and social media personalities, life coaching speakers tend to get a following at a relatively slower pace.
16- Virtual Assistant
So have you been a good administrative employee in your previous job? Or a secretary who knew the whole organization inside out during your entire tenure? Well, good for you as you might now be able to get to be a home-based assistant for your client and get a decent monthly salary as well.
In today’s fast-growing freelancing world, a lot of employers want to hire offshore assistants to manage their work and busy schedules – this gives them peace of mind and also saves unwanted overheads like office space, work station, etc.
Pros:
— Good, regular income that can be fruitful especially when you are in between jobs
— If you do get a couple of clients on a long-term basis, you might not want to go for a 9-5 anymore
Cons:
— These sort of jobs do get monotonous after a certain period with no real challenges or personal growth
— The opportunity costs involved here might be too great to not pay attention to..
17- Internet Security Consultancy
Time and again we keep hearing about those cyber-attacks in various business sectors globally, causing a lot of financial and non-financial losses to the corporate sector and end-users as well. To deal with these internet threats, recent trends have shown us that firms are investing more and more in making sure their systems are made as secure as possible. As a direct result of this, the demand for internet security experts has gone up.
If you know how to assist an organization with better internet security systems to prevent hackers from penetrating their security networks, you’re in for a well-paid home-based work opportunity that can give you a lot of room to grow and help your CV!
Pros:
— If you can get renowned organizations on board with your consulting services, this is directly going to help your resume!
— Helps you to grow your skills and keeps you up-to-date with all the latest internet threats, spamming, anti-virus software, etc.
— If you prove yourself and your expertise, organizations tend not to let go of people with such a skillset
Cons:
— Most IT-related jobs and tasks might require teamwork regularly
— Working as an IT expert from home might not help you get the necessary technical PR that your career might need at a certain stage.
18- Call Centre Representative
Now, this is something you might have heard a lot of people going for! Well, usually it’s a 9-5 job that requires you to travel some distance to reach your workplace. In this modern era, you can get your ball rolling by offering your call rep services while staying at home with ease and comfort.
The best part here is the fact that with time you and your client will develop mutual trust and a healthy work relationship, eventually allowing you to get more work magnitude and a slight possibility to hire your team when the workload gets bigger.
Pros:
— Opportunity to establish a remote team that can yield great profits for you in the long run
— Hassle-free setup – you just need a laptop, good internet connection, and a headset
Cons:
— At times, the home environment might not be too suitable for call center services due to frequent interruptions and noisy atmosphere
— You might not be able to get effective training and refresher programs at home to enhance your call center rep techniques and skills
19- Social Media Influencer
Now, this is something that you hear about every day these days, don’t you? In recent times, the trend of being a social media influencer has gone up, with more and more individuals investing their time and effort in getting the necessary attention to be able to increase their profile followers – eventually reaching a point where they start making good money.
As exciting as it may sound, being a social media influencer is easier said than done. You need to have rich, quality content or be innovative and creative that catches the public eye. However, once you achieve a certain level, then you’re in for some serious business!
Pros:
— You can come up with literally ‘anything’ to be a social media influencer. Your idea just needs to be properly sorted out and executed and you’re good to go!
— You can start earning regularly as soon as you start to get a decent amount of following your social media profile
— You can get paid partnerships, brand representation campaigns, advertisement campaigns, etc.
— Once again, quite easy to start up with – you just need to come up with something catchy and make sure it is portrayed in a nice way
Cons:
— Takes a lot of time to reach a level where you’re in for serious money
— It requires a lot of time investment as you need to be active on your profile more than you might want to
20- Amazon/eBay Seller
These days a lot of people are getting into the online reselling business by investing a very little amount of money in platforms such as eBay and Amazon. The game is quite simple here – purchase products from manufacturers and resell them at a low or a high price, depending upon the competition levels and overall demand of that specific product.
Although you might not get those good deals in the initial stage – since you will be new to the whole mechanism of online buying and selling over such platforms, you might have to play it safe during the early days. For example, buying items having low competition and reselling them at better prices.
Pros:
— Online reselling business is something that can expand to a well-established setup in the long-run
— The setup might require very little investment
Cons:
— Little investment is still an investment
— Reselling items that have somewhat good competition might not give you good results in the initial stage
— You need to stay updated about the products that are being listed by the sellers all the time, to be able to find the products that can be resold at good prices
21- Clothing Decor
Keeping in view the South Asian societies and countries like Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, etc., where a good number of women are housewives with not as much work opportunities as men have, the clothing business can work. From designing to adding the cultural flavors of embroidery, this can be set up at home with offshore tailors who are usually keen to work with you regularly.
Depending on your local socializing and networking skills, you can generate good revenues if you know the tricks of the trade and cost-saving techniques. Later on, this business can be expanded to a retail outlet or an online e-store where your sales volume can rapidly increase.
Pros:
— Horizons are great here, only if you decide to work smart instead of working hard
— A good option for women of eastern countries
— Profit margins are good
Cons:
— Not recommended for introverts – if you do not have a nice social network in your area, selling clothes from home can be a challenge
— Might need some sort of investment initially
22- Performing Arts Instructor
So you think you can dance? Sing? Play an instrument? – Cool! Now you can make a decent living out of it. Create your own YouTube channel and start giving out tips or even basic lessons to help youngsters out there who are relatively new in it.
Initially, you might not be getting anything out of it. However, if you are regular with your account and your followers are getting regular, quality content via your channel, you’ll be soon making money over something that you love doing! Does it get any better than this?
Pros:
— You can make a decent earning over something that interests you
— If your channel gets good hits, your talent might be put to better use when someone important notices your channel and might make you an offer you can’t refuse!
— You can set up online classes and at some point, start charging for these lessons or sessions
Cons:
— You need to have a special skill to be able to do this
— Mediocrity might not get you anywhere as there are a lot of performing arts instructors and coaches out there already
23- Health and Fitness Blogger
Are you a health and fitness freak? Have been hitting the gym for quite some time now and know the tips to have a perfectly shaped body? Forget about the boring 9-5 you’ve been looking for… Next time you go for your training session, just make a video and upload it to your Insta account or any other social media platform.
There has been an increasing trend of health and fitness bloggers in recent times, with paid partnerships and sponsored advertisements being offered to the ones with a good following to their respective accounts. Just share your workout routine with your followers and in some time you might be able to get good hits on your posts and videos.
Pros:
— Creating your own fitness blog can be physically beneficial for you as it gives a lot of motivation for you to stay in shape
— Fitness bloggers get paid advertisements and sponsorships more frequently than other types of bloggers do
— With no extra resources needed to start up, you can start with it right away!
Cons:
— Requires time and active participation as your followers might have a lot of technical questions that need to be answered frequently
— High competition
— Conservative or religious societies might not encourage women to get into this
24- Daycare
Finally, something for the cool moms and housewives who find it hard to get into the mainstream line of work or startup with a home-based business with all the household activities they need to take care of. Home daycare services have seen rapid growth in the past few years, with more and more women offering daycare to children and making a decent income.
The best part is that once you start having a good number of kids, you can expand and may hire a nice little place for this with added staff to take care of the workload. Eventually, this can be done on a bigger level with a more steady income.
Pros:
— A good option for stay-at-home women and housewives, specifically in countries like Pakistan, India, etc.
— Easy to start with – No advertisement or marketing expenses needed. Neighborhoods, relatives, and close friends can help you kick off with a few kids heading to your daycare each day
Cons:
— Limit to professional growth and the opportunities these women might miss out on due to managing kids every day
— Even if you love kids, this job might get monotonous and boring at some stage
— Low-income generation in the initial stage
25- DIY Expert
Are you someone who has immense love for machines, their parts, application methodologies, etc.? Good for you! – Today, you can earn serious money with your own home-based workshop or a small lab where you can fix your customers’ machines and assist them with their machine-related queries. This business has seen quite a lot of growth in the past few years. With more access to online tools and accessible communication modes, your skill and knowledge about machines won’t go to waste anymore.
Pros:
— Low-cost home setup
— Opportunity to freelance, with minimal investment
— Technical skillset can be put to good use
— Technical jobs usually require a 9-5 routine, this can be done from home at your own working terms and conditions
Cons:
— At times you might feel that you are overqualified for the projects you are doing – this is because you might not be able to work on large-scale projects since that would require more advanced equipment, work lab, hardware, etc., which might not be possible to set up at home
— Developing a clientele might take some time as people tend to get this sort of work done from certified outlets and service stations instead of letting freelancers work on it
26- List Your Home on Air BnB
You recently quit your 9-5 job and each day when you are having your morning coffee in your decent-sized apartment living room, you are thinking about what to do next? Guess what – you don’t need to think any further than this. With platforms such as Air BnB, you can list your house or room to share with travelers around the world who need a place to stay for a certain time period at a decent price. The best part is the fact that you have full control over the availability of your house, the rules you set, the price you want to receive, etc. In addition to this, through safe protection plans offered by Air BnB, you can actually sit back and relax while earning decent money on a regular basis.
Pros:
— Hassle-free online setup for listing your house or room
— Easy interaction with guests and potential customers looking for space to rent
— Protection plans offered by the company cover up to $2M in property damages and accidental insurance
— Global travel business rarely sees a downward trend except for short periods of uncertainty in some parts of the world – this directly means you usually get good prices for your house listing
— You specify the rules and only those visitors will be in touch with you who agree to those set rules
Cons:
— Yes, the protection and insurance plans are there, however, they might not cover everything and this could be of some inconvenience for you as a host – for example artifacts, antiques, jewelry items, cash, etc., are things that are not covered under the protection plans
— Getting a good price depends heavily on the positive reviews your guests leave on your online listing, so you need to ensure good customer service and clean living space at all times
27- e-Book Writing
In this digital era, the dependence and reliability of electronic devices have been on the rise. According to independent surveys conducted in 2018, more than 52% of global website traffic came from mobile devices. eBooks sector has witnessed a similar upward trend the past few years – mainly due to the hectic work routines and busy schedules we are usually part of. Buying a book from a store and finding the time and a peaceful environment to read it, is something that you might not be able to get too often. Instead, purchasing it online and having a PDF version of that book in your phone sounds much more convenient, doesn’t it?
If you have good knowledge about something and you know you can write well, publishing your own eBook can be a really good idea. Online portals like Amazon, Upwork, Fiverr, Kindle, etc., can pay serious money for your eBook writing skills.
Pros:
— Your writing skills can reward you good recognition in less time than you might think
— Good source of income, especially if you are in between jobs
— Writing usually requires some sort of research, this naturally keeps you up-to-date with your personal interests and/or hobbies
Cons:
— eBook writing is not the same as article or blog writing – it needs more time, more effort, and most importantly a peaceful work environment that you might not be able to get too often at your home
— Not too easy as it might seem – since the competition is high, your storytelling technique needs to be captivating and top-notch if you are to engage your readers to an extent where they want to pay good money for your content
28- Travel Consultant
Do you like to explore the various parts of the world or the region you are part of? Are you an avid believer of the fact that traveling helps personal growth more than anything else? Do you have a lot of experiences and stories to tell from those trips you made to date? – Guess what, you can earn good money for all of this!
The travel consultancy business has seen a sharp increase in the past few years, with more and more travelers wanting to explore new places around the world. Yes, there are a lot of online places where they can get almost all the information they need. However, listening to someone who has actually been there, done that – is something a lot more than a normal tour guide can offer.
Pros:
— You don’t even need any skill set for this – Just share your experiences, guide new travelers accordingly and make decent earnings
— Opportunity to travel if you are associated with a travel or hospitality organization
— Ease of interacting with travelers online, making new acquaintances, and opening up opportunities for other business ideas
Cons:
— Initial profile setup over online platforms could be time-consuming
— If your travel experience is limited to third-world countries or regions with instability or insecurity, you might have to expand your traveling portfolio before you can earn good money for it
29- Buy and Sell Domains
One of the better and more lucrative online businesses nowadays – buying a domain name and selling it at the right time at the right price. With online portals like GoDaddy, Sedo, Flippa, etc., you can easily register yourself and start buying domains that you believe could have more value in times to come. Yes, this might sound like an easy game, however, it does have its own technicalities and factors that play a role in your decision-making before purchasing a domain.
Having said that, if you have conducted the right sort of research prior to investing a few bucks into the domain or set of domains, this can turn out to be a good source of income in very little time.
Pros:
— Can be started with minimal investment
— Can be really fruitful if proper market research is conducted prior to making domain investment
Cons:
— You need to invest some sort of money before you can start making earnings
— Some domains might take longer than others to find the buyers that can offer a good price
— You need to do some sort of market analysis and trends in any online business – buying and selling of domain names is no different either
30- Translation Services
Do you consider yourself a multi-lingual person who has a good grip on two or more two languages? Why think of any other field of work when you can get paid for your multi-lingual skills? Even if you can’t get a proper job as an interpreter at a well-known organization, it’s all right. These days you can make a profile over a freelance platform like Upwork, Fiverr, etc., and list your translation services at a good price.
What do you need to get started? Well, just a computer and nothing else, really. Get done with your profile setup today and begin offering translation services without wasting another minute!
Pros:
— No prior skills or knowledge needed regarding any particular field
— Improves your grip on language as you have to continuously use your vocabulary
— Could be a good source of secondary income for a short time period, and it very well does have the potential to be your primary source of income, too
Cons:
— These sort of side jobs could bring in the element of boredom very soon
— Initial phase of finding clients could be time-consuming as there is good competition in the translation services sector
31- Investment Broker
If you are someone with good knowledge or experience with world financial markets, investment opportunities, stock markets, etc., you can offer your services to potential investors and businesses in order to help them to make the most of their future investments.
You can start this right away with whatever contacts and PR you might have in your surroundings, your friends and family, social media acquaintances, etc. If your recommendations and suggestions prove beneficial to your clients, they will certainly rely on your information for future investments.
Pros:
— No broker firms cut or fees if you are working as a freelancer
— Keeps you up-to-date with business affairs as you would want to equip yourself with local and international markets at any given time
— Growth opportunities with the passage of times with a strong portfolio
Cons:
— Depending on market conditions, the investors might ask for some sort of accreditation or portfolio before letting you make transactions on their behalf
— You need to have technical knowledge about financial markets before you can offer financial services to investors
32- Pets Consulting
Pets consulting business has seen rapid growth in recent times, with more and more pet lovers offering their expertise with pet training, behavioral consulting, diet plans, etc. If you own or have owned a pet in the past and you have sufficient knowledge and hands-on experience with the various aspects involved, it is time to make some good money by assisting others who might be new in this and need professional guidance.
Pros:
— All that hard work and time that you invested in your pet training would not go in vain
— Sharing your experiences can certainly land you a decent job with a renowned pet-related organization or business
— Attending those organized pet-related events and shows actually help you to stay up-to-date with all the happenings that can further improve your skills with pet training and grooming
Cons:
— This line of work might take some time for you to get yourself recognized due to high competition
— You will need to make sure your own pet stands out for you to build a strong portfolio. This can get hectic if this is not your primary gig
33- Home Based Florist
In recent times there has been a global increase in online buying and selling trends, with more and more customers making purchases that are more convenient and cost-effective to them. The flower business has kept up with the pace, too. If you know the tricks of the trade to some extent and if you can set up a home-based floral area to exhibit your work with the necessary equipment and tools – you mean business!
Pros:
— Since the trend of sending flowers as a gift is never really going to get old, this could be a long-term thing that you can get going
— You don’t have to invest a lot of money in shop rent or other expenses – home-based setup can be cost-effective and still get you clients
Cons:
— Even if little investment, this line of work still needs some sort of money to get started with
— Maintaining such a setup at your house can be challenging at times
34- Transcribing
Have good listening and writing skills? Well, as a freelancer, you can get regular work if you can transcribe audio files for clients who have projects that they need to get done within certain timeframes. These might include one-on-one interviews, talk shows, training sessions, etc., where there is a lot of verbal communication between two or more participants and you have to closely listen to the conversation and jot it down on your Word file.
Pros:
— You just need a computer and a decent internet connection to start offering your transcribing services
— If you are a native speaker, this sort of work can be a piece of cake for you
Cons:
— This could be a low-paid job and you might question your time investment or the opportunity costs involved here
— Can make you feel bored due to the element of monotony
35- Sewing
If you are part of an Eastern household, this sort of work could very well interest you. The South Asian part of the world, particularly women, can keep themselves occupied and earn good money by offering sewing services to retail shops, clothing brands, boutiques, etc. What do you really need? Just a sewing machine and a keen interest in sewing or stitching clothes and that is pretty much about it!
For a full-time housewife, this is something that can turn out to be a good source of income both in the short and the long run. With minimal investment, you can start developing clientele that can give you good payouts for your services with the passage of time.
Pros:
— Suitable for conservative or religious families where women might not have the liberty to work as freely as their opposite gender
— If you get the right sort of clients, this can actually grow to a much larger business in very less amount of time
— You might get a decent 9-5 from a clothing brand or a designer if your skills are above average
Cons:
— To some extent this is gender-specific – This field of work might not appeal to men in a way that it does to women
— You might feel confined within a certain space for too long
— Since the interaction and making new acquaintances is less, there is little room for personal growth
Conclusion
There is a world of opportunities waiting for you out there! All you need to do is trust your instincts, have faith in your abilities, and kick off with whatever type of work suits you best. Remember, we all have been where you might be at present. There will be times when you will be thinking, at times, overthinking about the nature of the work you are doing – and that’s okay. You can try out and experiment with your capabilities a little – that’s okay too.
