Monday, May 6, 2024
Latest:
Working from home ideas, Home Business Today
Best Work From Home JobsHome Business TipsMake Money Online

Best Home Business Ideas 2020

HomeBusinessToday

Best Home Business Ideas

In a time when companies all over the world are downsizing, laying off, and even going out of business altogether decent traditional jobs are getting harder to find – and harder to keep.

For this reason and many others more and more people all over the world – Australia included – are turning to self-employment, working at home – often via the Internet –  to help them either supplement their current income or replace a traditional job altogether. The good news for these people is that there are more ways to make work at home money – real opportunities, not scams – than ever before.

Making money as a home worker is not easy though. To earn a living you do need to be willing to put in some hard work, just as much as you would at a regular job, sometimes more so.

The payoffs can be huge though. Working from home offers people the chance to start their own business, be their own boss and do something that they really enjoy rather than something that just pays the bills! Here then is some information about some of the best ways to make money from home if you decide it might be right for you:

Creative Freelance Work Online

Freelance Writing or Design

Creative souls have freelanced for centuries but the Internet opened up a whole new world for writers, marketers, artists and even computer programmers. Now, these talented people can work with clients from all over the world, even if they never actually get to meet them.

In order to make money freelancing online, you do need to actually possess the talents that people are looking for. The demand for written web content has probably never been higher and many companies and individuals have realized that hiring freelance content creators is a more affordable way to get the content they need than hiring a traditional land-based company or professional.

However, the standards are getting higher and these days the competition is getting stiffer as well but for talented people the opportunity to make money and build their professional reputation really is out there.

Those new to the world of online freelancing may want to start out by signing up for a site like Upwork or Fivver. There they can create profiles, post portfolios and apply for jobs that are listed on the sites.

Doing so is a great way to begin earning money online and build a reputation up so that you can then begin finding clients on your own and builds a business of your own.

Virtual Assistance

Another growing trend in the global business arena is outsourcing, an increasingly companies are turning to virtual employees to help them meet all kinds of needs and they are hiring people to do everything from provide basic customer service to far more complicated tasks like executive administrative assistance, full-scale marketing and PR, accounting, computer programming web development, translation services and much more.

The advantages of a virtual employee to an employer are numerous. They can hire a diverse workforce from all over the world and not have to worry about finding office space for them or paying for things like holidays and employee taxes. For the employee, it offers the chance to gain a wide range of experience in their field and work in many different niches while potentially earning more than they used to working offline.

Making Money with Your Own Blog or Social Website

Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook fame started what has become the world’s most famous social network with a couple of friends right in his dorm room at Harvard. On a slightly smaller scale Perez Hilton, a struggling writer from Miami in the States made a name for himself – and became a celebrity in his own right – by writing a gossip blog from his home. These guys are just two of many examples of people who have hit it big by creating their own​ websites.

Not everyone can be The Zuck or Perez of course but with the right idea, great content and a bit of good marketing almost anyone can potentially create a website that makes them money, usually from advertising. You can choose to blog – if you have the writing chops – or set up a paid community or social network based around something you are very knowledgeable about (home decor, cooking, painting and more)

Thousands of webmasters earn money using Google Adwords, a program that allows Google to display content-relevant ads on your site and pays the owner for the number of click-throughs and ad impressions their site generates. Adwords is a free-to-join program and while you may not hit it billionaire rich with consistent effort you certainly have a chance to earn a decent monthly income.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is nothing new but the Internet has turned what was once a smallish industry into a huge global one. Basically, an affiliate marketer promotes other people’s products and services and then earns a commission every time a sale – or even sometimes a simple sign up or click through is generated through their unique affiliate links.

If you are interested in trying affiliate marketing then there are hundreds of companies and businesses that will give you the chance to promote their items and earn commissions, from big retailers to small businesses and even individual entrepreneurs. Usually, it helps if you have an established website to promote from but some affiliate marketers also have great success with promotional content they post on sites like Facebook and Instagram or even promote offline.

E-Commerce

Nearly all Australians have made purchases online. You could start your own online business selling products, using Amazon or even eBay. It’s hard to believe but auction site eBay is 25 years old and millions of people have made, and continue to make, a good additional income selling all kinds of things on the site.

Third-Party Marketplaces

These days though eBay is not the only choice if you are interested in selling online. Many craftspeople and artists are finding success selling their creations on Etsy and even retail giant Amazon.com now offers individual private sellers in all kinds of niches a space on their site to sell their own goods.

eCommerce Storefronts

In recent years, thanks to platforms like Shopify, Wix, Magento and more it has become much easier to create, launch and run your own eCommerce site too. Although that is harder than selling via a third-party site – you’ll need to do all your own marketing, website promotion and more – some store owners are finding huge success online.

Dropshipping

Logistics and delivery can be an issue, but for those who do not want to deal with that, or do not make or create their own products dropshipping is an option. This means that you create a website to sell and promote products but the orders themselves are fulfilled and shipped from elsewhere.

Game Streaming

Most Australian video gamers are not little kids, and they are not all male either. The average Australian videogamer is, according to IGEA, 34 years old and has been playing video games for an average of 13 years. 46% of gamers are females and 97% of Australian family households do some kind of gaming.

Lots of these gamers head to YouTube and the Amazon-owned game streaming channel Twitch to get game tips, watch game walkthroughs or even, especially in the case of Twitch, watch other people play.

Top YouTube and Twitch gamers make hundreds of thousands of dollars in ad revenues and subscription offerings, but even those with smaller channels earn a good monthly income. So, if you were told you’ll never make a living playing video games then whoever told you that might be very wrong.

Wellness Services

Aussies are heavily into wellness these days, and there are a lot of home business and work-from-home opportunities related to this field that you can train for, set up and offer on or offline (and sometimes even both.)

Personal Trainer

Whether you choose to work with clients in a gym, or as becoming more popular right now as people stay out of crowded spaces one on one on or offline, becoming a personal trainer can be a great way to make a work from home income.

You may not even need to see your clients in person, as virtual personal training is very popular, either via recorded workouts for your clients to follow or through live, one on one training using an Internet streaming platform like Zoom.

You do not need to become certified to become a personal instructor, and there are all kinds of services you can offer, from high-intensity strength training to aerobics and yoga. Certification may help you get more clients however, but can often be completed online in a short time.

You will need to have the basic skills, but for a fitness fan this may be a way to turn their passion into profit! You can even offer several services rolled into one to create a wellness business, much like Chris Hemsworth has done with huge success.

Boot camp Trainer

Fitness boot camps are another fitness trend that has taken the world by storm. Bootcamps -which involves circuit training modeled after the kinds of training the military go through – are popular because they can be adapted to suit people of all fitness levels and are usually staged outdoors, in parks and other public places. Setting up a fitness boot camp business does not even call for an investment in any specialist equipment and using a park is free!

Herbal Medicine Practitioner

People have been using herbs to treat and cure things for centuries, and even many modern drugs are based on the practice. The interest in herbal medicine is increasing though and may provide the foundation for a great home business.

You can obtain certification as a herbal medicine practitioner via the National Herbalists Association of Australia and then practice however you choose. Some people offer in-person advice and treatments but even more offer their services and products for sale online.

Life Coach

Are you always the one giving advice to your friends about how to deal with a problem at work, how to maintain their love life, how to cope with stress and more lifestyle issues like that? Then a life coaching home business might be right for you.

You can coach people to help them with personal or professional issues, and do so in person or online. All you’ll need is the skills – and with so many kinds of life coaching becoming popular there’s a very good chance you have those – a website and the time and drive to find and serve clients.

Personal Services Work from Home Opportunities

People are busy, busier than ever, and so are willing to pay people to perform all kinds of personal services for them, so if you have the skills they are looking for you could make a great income working from home. Here’s a look at some of the most popular.

Dog Walking

Australians love their dogs but they don’t always have the time to walk and exercise them as often as they should, especially if they live in an urban area. That’s why many of them are more than happy to pay someone to walk their pup for them. For you, if you are an animal lover it’s a great way to earn money, get lots of exercise and meet new people!

Pet Sitting/Pet Boarding

People can’t always take their pets on holiday with them, or on any business travel trips, they may need to go on. However, many pet owners worry about sending their furry friends to a big kennel as they might get sick (there’s a reason the commonly diagnosed pet respiratory disease is called kennel cough) or not get enough individual attention and become depressed.

That’s why lots of ‘pet parents’ prefer to find an individual pet sitter to take care of their fur kids while they are away instead. As a home business, you can offer to take care of pets in your own home or to travel to a client’s home to take care of their pets there instead.

Makeup Services

Bridal make up services have been popular for decades, but now women – and some men – are turning to make up artists to get them looking their best for all kinds of occasions, from a big job interview or getting their professional headshots taken to attending a big party or even just going on a hot date. So, if you have makeup skills, you can consider turning them into a work from home business, either offering to provide services in your own home or by traveling to a client’s location to do their makeup there.

Personal Shopping Services

Being very busy – and maybe even disliking going to the shops after COVID-19 – means that people are more willing than ever to have other people do their shopping for them. And that often means all kinds of shopping, from groceries to clothes, to pet products and much more.

Cleaning and Home Decorating

Something that a lot of people don’t like to do is clean and do housework, so they have always been willing to pay someone else to do it for them. If you also have an eye for decor you can offer a service that helps with that too. You could even consider becoming a home stager or Property Stylist, someone who helps people who are planning on selling their home get it ‘showing ready’ so it sells faster for more money.

Is Working From Home Right for You?

Many people these days are finding that their pay just isn’t going as far as it used to and in many cases there is just “more month than money” involved. In order to stop themselves from falling into debt, or just to try and make sure that they can maintain a decent standard of living for themselves and their families they realize that working from home may be the best solution.

Traditional Job vs. Working From Home

Before you start looking for a work from home opportunity should consider the pros and cons associated with both holding a traditional part-time job and of choosing to work from home. Here are a few of those things for you to consider:

Traditional Job Pros:

  • You will probably work at the same place every day
  • You will probably work a set schedule and a set number of hours
  • You do not have to worry about keeping track of taxes, they will be deducted for you by your employer
  • You will probably meet a few new people.

Traditional Job Cons:

  • The cost and time involved in commuting to work.
  • The work is likely to be the same thing every day.
  • You will probably be required to work whenever your supervisor asks you to and getting time off when you want or need it may be hard.

Work From Home Pros:

  • No commuting costs to a workplace, you work from your own home.
  • Your job will probably be more varied, giving you the chance to try new things and develop new skills all the time.
  • You will have the ability to set your own schedule
  • You will have the chance to work with people from all over the world and expand your “cultural horizons”.

Work From Home Cons

  • If you are going to work from home online you will have to try to make sure that your Internet connection is as reliable as possible and create a backup plan to keep working if your Internet at home goes out.
  • If your home business involves travel you’ll have to figure in the costs of that. If it involves purchasing equipment you’ll need to pay for that too.
  • You will have to motivate yourself to work – there will be no boss behind you to do that for you.
  • You will have to keep track of your income yourself and work out paying the appropriate taxes by yourself, as well as saving for your retirement.

Think you are ready to start working from home? Take another look at this list, see what takes your fancy, or seems like something you’ll be good at and start making a plan to go for it. We’re not telling you to quit your day job today of course, but the faster you start planning your new work from home life the faster you can get started!