7 Businesses You Can Start from Home ...

1. Online Shop

This is the most common of all businesses you can start from home. It’s pretty simple: either you start your own website where you can post any merchandise you want to sell or utilize any existing social media platforms available. My friend started an online shop of pre-loved items while pregnant with her first child. She’s on to her second and business is doing pretty well.

2. PR/Marketing

My husband started his company in the comforts of his own home after college graduation. He opened his own PR firm by calling on friends to help him get clients. He built his reputation by delivering what he promised to accomplish. PR and marketing meetings can be done in restaurants and coffee shops. Just be sure you have substantial media networks and contacts that you can reach out to because you will need them.

3. Website Design and Maintenance

True story: my close friend John dropped out of college. He then worked for a business process outsourcing company where he climbed the corporate ladder and became one of the company’s best assets as a web developer/trainer. He resigned after five years, tired of the rat race, and started his own company that does website design. He has long since expanded. He now has a dive shop, a wine shop, and a travel agency.

4. Travel Agency

To continue #3, who says you need to rent a space to start your own travel agency? Everything is done almost virtually now and people have very little time to visit offices to book their tickets. Where do you think travelers book their flights most of the time?

5. Tutoring Club/Day Care

I interviewed a woman before who is now managing director of an international school. She said her school started as day care in their subdivision with only her son and two other children as pupils. She gradually expanded the “center” from her son’s play area to the family garage until the number of students grew too large for the house to accommodate. She eventually had to find a spot where their current school stands.

6. Made-to-order Dishes or Sweets

Ann was studying law when she realized that it’s not really what she wants. On her third year, she stopped schooling and embraced her true love: baking. She has been making heavenly cupcakes for two years now. No shop or store. She just takes orders online and delivers them.

7. Real Estate Brokering

This made it to the list because I just learned that my godmother, who’s been working 20 years for a multinational company, availed of an early retirement package three years ago, and has been doing real estate brokering since then. She has sold two parcels of lands, 10 condominium units, etc. etc. No office either! Just her home office (otherwise known as the living room), her laptop computer with fast internet connection, and a trusted mobile phone network to make much needed phone calls and coordination.

So what do you think? Which among these businesses have you tried? How did it go?